1. Lisbon
Bad omens.
The jet listing
and in that moment
of falling
I felt my ears burn
and saw how
easy it is
to slip from memory
after the slap
of dirt on cheap
polished pine
veneer.
Funny how we
don't see things.
A plane banking
hard to the left -
children in gaggles
cheering the heavy
fall and judder
onto cracked tarmac -
your ghost palm
embedded in mine -
all suddenly
done
and
dusted.
I fell in love with the
colour of the trams
the cavernous
stamp houses -
began to see the logic
in covering the
world in a
tile membrane
and serving every
meal with a
an earned grimace
and a small wooden
gavel.
Strange to fathom
how we used to
amble into old
stations and look first
at the ceiling
and the stone
and I always
think of Carnforth -
the curving
ledge across
Morecombe Bay
and how long
it would take
for our toppled train
to slip noiselessly
below the sand.
We clattered dourly
through the blanched suburbs
and somewhere
a man got on
playing a kind of Mozart
on his sunburned violin -
got off
playing a kind of Mozart
on his sunburned violin
and I could not
figure why
you had tears
in your eyes
and on your cheeks
and on your chin.
Comments
Silver Spun Sand | August 27, 2011 - 16:05
This is wonderful, fb...and I love 'the sunburned violin', among many other things;-)
Tina
seashore | August 27, 2011 - 16:18
Nice one - will there be a number 2?
fatboy74 | August 27, 2011 - 16:20
That's lovely Tina thank you - hope you are well and enjoying the weekend - feels a while since we said hello. :-)
fatboy74 | August 27, 2011 - 16:45
Hi seashore, the intention is to do a 2 (Sintra) and 3 (Viana Do Costelo) but with my output these days it's very dodgy to plan ahead at all. Lovely to hear from you and thanks as always for reading and commenting - I really appreciate it. :-)
Overthetop1 | August 29, 2011 - 11:59
I liked this very much. Very evocative & makes me want to go to Lisbon. For some reason we've never been. Spending too much in Spanish cities which I adore. Seville probably being probably just had the edge on Barcelona, but that may be because it was my birthday in Seville and we got very, very drunk. Happy days!
fatboy74 | August 29, 2011 - 12:09
I've never been to Spain outside of a Costa but have always had a hankering for Seville, sounds like you had a blast - I think there is something to be said for inebriation and what it does to the clarity of certain memories particularly in foreign places - I remember getting very drunk in a small Italian cafe/bar while watching Manchester United playing Juventus surrounded by Juventus fans - all very good natured and I remember almost all of it quite vividly. Great to hear from you OTT and thanks for reading - seems I missed a SOW while I was away which I look forward to reading later. ATB Fatboy
shoe | August 29, 2011 - 18:43
I love how you meander through thoughts to memories to reality, all done with the sharpest of eyes and emotional intelligence, a feature of your writing which is quite special.
fatboy74 | August 29, 2011 - 20:22
Thanks shoe, that's a lovely compliment. :-)
Overthetop1 | August 30, 2011 - 00:40
Go to Seville FB, and i'll go to Lisbon. The only downer about our trip to Seville was that Spanish TV was nor showing any footie. This would have been fine, but it just happened to be when England beat Germany 5-1. We were gutted! Always fancied the idea of watching a Barca/Real match in Barca (I support Barca more'cos they were for the Republic during civil war which is quite narrow minded of me). But it would be such an occasion. Don't bother with my SOTW. It's pretty bloody dreary. And of course now i've peaked, my best work is behind me, can't replicate that etc etc. Good to see you again FB.
fatboy74 | August 30, 2011 - 09:18
I've been thinking the same thing for a while now (about my stuff not yours!) just feel like I've run out of things to say and it's probably a good time to stop. I also prefer Barca to Real and for no better reason than I have always liked the colour of their shirts. Good to speak to you as well OTT - ATB. :-)
Beeme | August 30, 2011 - 10:16
This is wonderful Fatboy :)
Beeme xx
Nicola6 | August 31, 2011 - 18:03
A lovely mix of nostalgia and melancholy, with all the right words in just the right places. I think this proves that you have much more to say. Keep on keeping on.
ScoZen | August 31, 2011 - 19:46
Excellent fb.
Really enjoyed this line "...playing a kind of Mozart
on his sunburned violin..."
Plus more.
fatboy74 | August 31, 2011 - 23:42
Thanks Beeme, Nicola and scozen you are all very kind and I appreciate you having a read and glad you liked this one. :-)
Thanks for the encouragement Nicola. :-)
MaggieG | September 1, 2011 - 02:22
This is a very interesting piece with its understated tones, and hues. You give me not so much a panoramic view, but a softly hidden away peep hole to watch moments in time I might not necessarily understand, and yet I feel them. Fine read
rjnewlyn | September 1, 2011 - 22:17
Well that's wierd because I'm going there in a week or so, but only briefly. Very evocative - I do hope you manage the part 2 and 3.
Rob
fatboy74 | September 2, 2011 - 14:19
Inciteful comment maggie that is more than appreciated - many thanks. :-)
Good to hear from you Rob and hope you're well - fab city Lisbon (avoid the salt cod, but get on a tram if you have time) There should be 2 and 3 soon. Safe journey and all the best. :-)
msiagirl | September 5, 2011 - 15:52
I enjoyed reading this a lot, especially the last two stanzas, lovely.
fatboy74 | September 5, 2011 - 16:00
Thanks for having a read and many thanks for your kind words - and well done on your first cherry msiagirl - one for one, you can't beat that. Welcome to ABC. :-)
Highhat | September 29, 2011 - 04:07
I can see I haven't been here before and that is a pity but now I have I can say that this is a wonderful postcard Fb- Have never been to Lisbon but it is on my list before I lay down to die! Liked the sunburnt violin too- beautiful....
;)Pia
fatboy74 | September 29, 2011 - 13:05
You should definitely go if you get the chance - thanks for reading this Pia and for your kind words. :-)