Thursday 4 November 2010

Rear Window

From my rear window
Smudged with the greasy print of fingers
And the smeared corpse of an unwanted spider,
The children play.
Fields lush with green beneath spiked boots
And padded shins.
A whistle blows.

Beyond this glass screen,
Leaves like orange lemons,
Sharp sheets of fire
Burn crisp from starched branches;
A season of weakened spirit,
So it seems.

Past the broken fence and compost heap
At garden's end, to the next street,
The woman, the Adulteress, lies in wait;
Pinching the stub of a cancer stick
To calm nerves before her Lover arrives.
It's exercise.

Birds of black wing and eye
Burst forth from the old Oak next door,
Where neighbours burn tyres and wood
At all hours;
Their garden filled with the carcasses
Of cars and trucks,
And beer bottle lids glint in sunbeams
Like a thousand golden raindrops.

Through the barren hedge where ivy spills
Outwards like green entrails,
The Stranger known for twenty years
Pegs grey whites on a frosted line
With a disheartened sigh;
She retreats inside with an empty basket
Of forgotten dreams.

From my rear window
This play of string-less puppets
Unbeknownst
Act for me in their Acts
First or final,
Who knows?
A whistle blows.

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for the ride and the beautiful music. I may take it again for the sights and sounds that came at me too fast.

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  2. Ordinary neighborhood no longer ordinary under your pen. I have a similar neighbor collects useless cars in his front yard. I can never write a poem about him the way you did though.

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  3. This is so vivid- like i can see u standing there looking at the world outside. U really have a way with words.
    -Kate

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  4. I love your work. Always.

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  5. Thanks for all the comments everyone. Bruce- i'm pleased you noticed the musical quality to it. I was hoping that came across! Sarah- lovely comment as always. :)

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  6. Holy crap this is uh-mazing. More pleasde.

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  7. This is very beautiful, and your imagery is simply beautiful.

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  8. Anon: Thank you so much for the lovely comment. I will try to keep the poems coming, though they take quite a while to form!

    Chanelle: Thanks for stopping by. I always appreciate new comments about my writing, especially my poetry. See where I'm going right (and wrong!) :)

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  9. What wonderful poems!
    You really have your way with words.
    It was a pleasure reading your work.

    Do checkout www.highonpoems.com
    You might want to publish some poems here :)
    Take care and keep writing.

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