And your bills will be split between four.
And we can just draw up a rota for the oven.
And you'll be sharing with creatives.
And all the cleaning products are included.
And this is one of the better parts of Peckham.
And the room overlooks an impending park.
And no DSS (sorry, agent's stipulation … not ours).
And Elephant & Castle is becoming so vibrant.
And there's no living room.
And agent's fees apply.
And Borough Market is just a bus ride away.     
And the breakfast bar seats two (three at a push).
And we all respect each other’s privacy.
And you'll get your own cupboard in the kitchen.
And no couples (sorry, agent's stipulation … not ours).
And it would suit someone working nights.
And you'd be sharing the bed with two Italian guys.
*AND IT'S A SUPER FUN AREA WITH GREAT TRAVEL CONNECTIONS!*    
And there's a futon in the kitchen.
And it's a great deal because the landlord isn't supposed to be sub-letting.
And we're all recent graduates.
And we all work in the city.
And we're two gay guys.
And we're three single women.
And the room would suit someone similar.
And there's a coffee shop that does an amazing flat white on the same street.
And sorry but no working from home.     
And I'm only leaving the flat because I've got the chance to travel around Asia. And this is not a party house.
And you'll be close to some great galleries and bars.
And this is the perfect location to explore London from (zone 6).  
And no loud sex noises please.
And we're all really sociable.
And that's why there's a fold-down table in your bedroom for meal times.

I've read this a few times on picket lines alongside friends, old and new. It always seems to connect, which is comforting and disappointing in equal measure. As with most of what I write, I hope it quickly becomes irrelevant. This poem originally appeared in the Verve Poetry Press anthology, It All Radiates Outwards. As well as reading poetry on picket lines I'm the founding editor of the Lunar Poetry Podcasts series. I also have a City & Guilds certificate in bench joinery, along with the accompanying scars, am known to the Southwark community mental health team as a “service user” and have represented Norway at snow sculpting. Originally from London but now living in Bristol, I'm widely unpublished and working class.

Poetry on the Picket Line is a squad of like-minded poets putting themselves about to read their work on picket lines, in the spirit of solidarity. Invitations to rallies etc. welcome, contact facebook.com/pg/PicketLinePoets.