The summer I traversed the Monty Python
back catalogue he went downhill fast,
like Konrad Bartelski that day, but just a metaphor.
A coincidence I think, just MS done, cancer spread,
innumerable things the locum left unsaid,
but what it boiled down to was this:
A mechanical bed and body within,
wheeled out at the end so those who
wiped their feet might thank their lucky stars;
a life prostrate, the whispered calls of fate,
well fingered turned-down pages
of natural remedies,
miracle cures, leaps of faith
and a wife by now run into the ground.
I stepped up to the plate, fifteen and a bit,
shouldered my two-night shift a week
with a face of measured nonchalance.
Did not mind so much; snaffled sleeping pills
I sold to friends, dreamed of what i'd do with girls,
free run on the fridge and remote control.
In the adverts I'd remember - look across
the unbothered sheets for signs of breath,
for signs of death; bring my face close to his,
or touch the skin for warmth, or shocked, looked into
eyes wide open - but seeing what?
So I smiled the best I could, wiped the mouth
that over years had steered my politics
somewhere to the left of the Irish coast,
played Devil's Advocate, forced me to think for myself.
Told me stories of the rails, the docks,
copper-piped pea-shooters off half-built tower blocks;
explained quangos and pressure groups,
the absence of a plot twist
in the Ragged Trousered Philanthropist.
It seems a strange place to recognise love,
the shit squeezed from that filemot bag,
drowning in the scent of chemical lemon
as imagined for kicks in a clean white lab
by some nasally reticent c*nt who couldn't tell
his arse from his elbow...
At the funeral I shouldered the weight of his years,
listened to the rumours of my toil,
sat and conjured tears as the curtain
closed in time to the organ's drone;
dreamed of hot days, brown legs, short skirts,
and all the things above that line as yet unknown.
Comments
insertponceyfre... | January 26, 2011 - 01:01
this is wonderful fatboy
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 09:14
Thank you Insert that means a lot and many thanks for the cherry. Sorry to use the 'C' word but nothing else felt right somehow.
Are you basking in glorious sunshine yet? Who is going to look after the Fatboys?
ATB FB :-) :-)
seashore | January 26, 2011 - 09:28
Read this one twice, fatboy - not because I needed to, but because I wanted to and no doubt I will read it again for the same reason - yes it's that good.
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 09:43
Seashore you are a treasure - thank you so much for your lovely comment and for your constant encouragement. ATB FB
skinner_jennifer | January 26, 2011 - 10:31
You certainly have a way with words, you have given
me a brilliant read once again.
This was a very touching poem.
Jenny.
ScoZen | January 26, 2011 - 11:00
ScoZen
Hello fatboy.
Very thought provoking this piece.
I enjoyed reading, but with some sadness.
Regards.
lenchenelf | January 26, 2011 - 11:06
Touching transitions. Designed to be a performance piece? It would carry well. atb L x
Silver Spun Sand | January 26, 2011 - 11:14
This is beyond words, fb; a mixture of love, bitterness, and the nitty-gritty of life,all mixed together in the most intoxicating of cocktails. A poem that will stay with me, for many reasons, and for none.
Tina;-)
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 11:34
Hi Jenny, your kind words always cheer me up on grey days - thanks so much. :-)
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 11:36
Hi Scozen great to hear from you and thanks for taking time to read. Really glad you liked this one. Cheers. :-)
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 11:40
Hi Lena,
It's strange you have said that because in my brain when I read this poem it has volume if that makes sense as though it is supposed to be read out loud, whereas most of mine seem happy to squat on the paper.
Was just about to comment on your poem yesterday when it disappeared! Where has it gone? Cheers and thanks for commenting. :-)
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 11:44
Well I made it back Tina, but it was a bit of a struggle, you were right, it was hard to get out...
What a wonderful comment, thank you so much - even your feedback is a delight to read. ATB and enjoy the rest of your Wednesday. :-)
lenchenelf | January 26, 2011 - 12:50
Hope you do get a chance to perform it, it's good and I could 'hear it' while reading, if that makes sense :-)
Re: yesterday's doodle, it ended up in my mini collection 'Melange'< repository for delinquent doodles that don't yet know what they want to be when they grow up. Sadly it's an older file, before ABC allowed comments on individual pieces. Thanks for asking, kind of you atb Lena xx
Beeme | January 26, 2011 - 17:58
Such a beautiful and moving poem Fatboy. Expressed in the best possible way. I loved these lines;
'Did not mind so much; snaffled sleeping pills
I sold to friends, dreamed of what i'd do with girls,
free run on the fridge and remote control.
In the adverts I'd remember - look across
the unbothered sheets for signs of breath,
for signs of death; bring my face close to his,
or touch the skin for warmth, or shocked, looked into
eyes wide open - but seeing what?'
A triumph :-)
Beeme xx
fatboy74 | January 26, 2011 - 22:34
Beeme you are more than kind thank you. My last two poems are a bit of a contrast to say the least - I blame Simon Armitage and Whisky. ATB FB :-)
SundaysChild | January 27, 2011 - 20:33
A triumph indeed fatboy
fatboy74 | January 27, 2011 - 22:33
Thank you Sundayschild, you always take the time to comment on my poems and it is greatly appreciated. :-)
tcook | January 28, 2011 - 16:29
This is our Poem of the Week and our Facebook and Twitter pick of the day.
Join us on Facebook at ABCtales.com
Join us on Twitter @tcookabctales
Get a great reading recommendation most days.
Highhat | January 28, 2011 - 16:30
Yes you certainly do have the talent for writing a good poem FB. Thoroughly enjoyed this sad piece
;)Pia
seashore | January 28, 2011 - 17:39
Well done on POW, fb. This is the one I would have picked so Tony got it spot-on in my opinion.
fatboy74 | January 28, 2011 - 20:56
I've already said it but am more than happy to say it again, even if I do sound like that guy off the Fast Show - brilliant - Cheers Tony :-)
Strange but it didn't feel a sad write when it came out as some poems can, thanks Pia for your kindness. :-)
I've always liked you seashore ;-)
celticman | January 29, 2011 - 13:32
great poem.
fatboy74 | January 29, 2011 - 21:07
Cheers celticman, know how much prose you read so appreciate you reading and commenting on this one. ATB Fatboy. :-)
threeleafshamrock | February 3, 2011 - 12:39
Made the hair stand up on the back of my neck and goose bumps appear. Brilliant work; I could read it daily and not tire of it. Pure Class! Well done...
Chris ;)
barryj1 | February 3, 2011 - 17:43
Along with everything that has already been said about this amazing poem, it isn't 'academic', scholarly or intellectualizing. It goes down like hundred-proof whiskey. The reader doesn't require an MFA degree from some snooty Ivy League college to appreciate the imagery. In short, it is so very much better than that!
fatboy74 | February 3, 2011 - 19:17
Chris thank you, that's one of the best compliments I have had - really pleased you thought it was so good, quite a few people like this one so i'm really chuffed. Thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment, much appreciated. ATB FB :-)
fatboy74 | February 3, 2011 - 19:27
Hi Barryj1 great to hear from you and thank you so much for such a brilliant comment. Yours and Chris' comment must be the two best back to back comments i've ever had.
I ve had 60 proof vodka before which nearly killed me so I appreciate that metaphor.
'Step up to the plate' I think is from baseball terminology, do you know if I have written the right sort of plate?
Really appreciate that feedback, thanks so much. ATB FB :-)
Overthetop1 | February 16, 2011 - 17:35
I wish I had written this poem. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
fatboy74 | February 17, 2011 - 16:25
That is a compliment and a half overthetop and I thank you for it sincerely. This isn't one of my favourite poems (in fact my two favourite poems have not been cherrypicked) but I am so pleased that evrybody else seems to like it. :-)