Butterflies on scrap bits of paper
wrinkled and damp
drawing and praying
that’s all I do, praying to be snapped in
two so there’s another one of me in
the noise and the damp and I could colour
with me, together
Dad’s voice booms over my head
his molars like microphones pushing him
into ears and he jokes about his heart,
one attack away from death
I search the room for patterns and
colours of shark fins or spring
or the icy hues of starlight or the bold
tones of Japanese fruit with names
like ha-choo, but there’s nothing here
just grey-green drool that drips
from chapped lips and explodes
onto last night’s broken glass
our little lives like hop scotch
one day it’s crazy, the next
day it’s not
dad marching downstairs dragging
his shadow over my brother
against the wall, my mum –
a piggy in the middle
slapped away and later she’ll
give him a kick too, more quiet
like she really means it
my dad, brother and some others
shout and leave and I can’t stand
another night alone with her so I
follow them down the street
in town I glide behind,
leaping over Piccadilly puddles
where the world is the same
just upside down, could the other me
be down there?
Their voices echo and enter beneath
a bright green sign that flickers real fast
like wings, I can’t read and I can’t go in –
a big black man stands on guard
crouching behind a bin
I peer through
two velvet
curtains
knees, belly, lace, red, shimmer, lips
a girl dancing in shapes
the way fumes do.
Back home I parade through my room
twisting “Wednesday” knickers into a string
between my bum, my breasts
- more like fried eggs
but I pinch them tight
one day they’ll be balloons
and I’ll be part
of all that
beauty
as I fall asleep
a gold glitter, unfolds itself
beneath my lid
Comments
hudsonmoon | July 27, 2011 - 17:21
in town I glide behind,
leaping over Piccadilly puddles
where the world is the same
just upside down, could the other me
be down there?
I love this. Wonderful work.
Rich
maggyvaneijk | July 27, 2011 - 17:23
Thanks Rich
Silver Spun Sand | July 27, 2011 - 18:43
Love the title, maggy...and asbolutely everything about this;-) Wonderful!
Tina
skinner_jennifer | July 27, 2011 - 19:13
I really enjoyed reading this fine piece of work.
Jenny.
maggyvaneijk | July 27, 2011 - 19:29
thanks ladies
fatboy74 | July 27, 2011 - 20:42
loved it all Maggy but my favourite part is the Dad 'dragging his shadow' which is such a powerful image. ATB Fatboy :-)
seashore | July 27, 2011 - 21:02
Superb - nothing else to say. All of it.
Highhat | July 28, 2011 - 04:54
I'll say as Richard-' Thank god all the world's out there'- what a wonderful poem Maggy!
;)Pia
insertponceyfre... | July 28, 2011 - 08:06
yes, I agree about the title - but there's so much in each line - there always is with your poems - it reads as if you've just spilled it all out in one slightly hysterical outburst, though I can see you haven't. Really really good
maggyvaneijk | July 28, 2011 - 14:17
thanks everyone and thank you Richard for taking the time to write such poetic comments that often spawn bits of my next piece.
SundaysChild | July 28, 2011 - 14:19
What a fantastic poem this is. I LOVE EVERY LINE!
maggyvaneijk | July 28, 2011 - 14:20
thanks *mega blush attack*
barryj1 | July 28, 2011 - 16:11
You got the psychology right - the need to 'split' for the sake of personal sanity. Young people can only tolerate just so much hurt before their universe begins to disintegrate.
Back home I parade through my room
twisting “Wednesday” knickers into a string
between my bum, my breasts
- more like fried eggs
but I pinch them tight
one day they’ll be balloons
and I’ll be part
of all that
beauty
as I fall asleep
a gold glitter, unfolds itself
beneath my lid
You salvaged everything with those last two, uplifting stanzas. A poem like this needs an offering of redemption and, at the proverbial eleventh hour, you delivered the goods.
tcook | July 28, 2011 - 16:16
This is 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.
barryj1 | July 28, 2011 - 16:54
Congrats on the Facebook and Twitter!
MistakenMagic | July 28, 2011 - 17:08
Really love this, Maggy! You really play with assonance here and the sound-patterning makes your words sliup deliciously from the tongue. Reminds me of Sylvia Plath's 'Daddy' a bit ;-) Well done on the many picks!
Magic xxx
Overthetop1 | July 28, 2011 - 19:20
This is breathtakingly good. Every line is magical. I am really glad it was facebook & twitter pick of the day. So well-deserved.
arfellian | July 28, 2011 - 20:18
really enjoyed this, a great poem and a joy to read. Well done!
Cavalcaderl | July 28, 2011 - 21:01
new Maggy
All has been said, marvellous,explosive poem.
like someone mentioned words fall of the
top of your tongue. Brill; I remember Shirley Temple
films good, clever little girl, my hair was like that
once but a tangled mess! Meddlesome matty? corkscrews. Callled fuzzy wuz at school unkempt.
Well done! Twitter and Facebook of the day
julie x.
RachelPatricia | July 31, 2011 - 10:58
It's impossible to choose a favourite from all your amazing writing, Maggy - you just go from strength to strength, you really do :)
'crouching behind a bin
I peer through
two velvet
curtains
knees, belly, lace, red, shimmer, lips
a girl dancing in shapes
the way fumes do.'
- speechless :)
Congrats on the pick and really looking forward to the next - love the little journey each one of your poems takes us on, inspiring stuff to say the least ;)
Rachel xx
celticman | August 2, 2011 - 21:41
tones of Japanese fruit with names
like ha-choo, but there’s nothing here
just grey-green drool'
I'm not sure what it's all about, but it doesn't really matter in your wonderful world of words. I like the ha-choo part because a) it's childish and joyful and b)nobody else picked it, so it's really mine.
Great stuff.
maggyvaneijk | August 2, 2011 - 21:55
hahaah thanks, I think I saw a fruit somewhere called Ha-chee or something along those lines. I'm not a fruit and veg person so maybe I'm really uneducated in that department for not having come across it before but long story short, it sounds like a sneeze.
shoe | August 4, 2011 - 10:32
Your words weave around me like a spell, I see the world through a child's eyes but feel her pain as only an adult can, simply superb writing,