I walk along Brighton beach
the sky is beautiful tonight, fresh, and the moon
is not quite full. Gibbus. The best one.
There are so many stars and it's on nights like this
I wish I believed in aliens
that I could look up at the night sky
and there was a chance I'd see a flying saucer,
green aliens waving hello,
drop a rope ladder
beckon me to come up and my God we'd see some things
I'd slag off my fellow earthlings.
I wish that before I closed my bedroom curtains every night
I could allow myself to check for an asteroid hurtling towards us,
I wish I had the imagination to say
THIS WORLD IS NOT SAFE FROM OUR ALIEN OVERLORDS
that one day the man in the bank will rip of his face
unveil three heads
and everything would make sense.
If only I could believe there is a parallel universe,
that at the other end of the Milky Way
there is a man identical to me but is left handed
and loves Marmite
and doesn't have to borrow money from his mum.
I wish I didn't find it so implausible that a spaceship could land beside me
on Brighton beach
sea monsters could poke their heads out of the water
that far off seagulls are pterodactyls.
I wish I could wake up one morning surrounded by mist
in my underpants at Joddrell Bank
with no idea how I got there.
That's why I look up at the Brighton night sky and scream
'Take me! Do with me what you want!
I have nothing else to contribute to the world!'
but deep down I know they won't come and I have to accept
that my imagination is as extinct as dinosaurs.
It's not been the same since that Christmas
I saw my dad dressed as Santa Claus.
Comments
RachelPatricia | November 10, 2011 - 14:38
Two new beauties from your good self today, mcmanaman, though I think you've been watching too many conspiracy theory vids online by the sounds of it! ;)
Very much enjoyed your anxiety in both pieces. Think you should reward yourself and take a pew and chill out for a bit now - they'll come when they're ready for us, nothing we can do about it but just enjoy the fireworks and watch them with as many loved ones as possible (that's my plan, I've watched those vids too) ;D
Great stuff, thanks for another wonderful read.
Rachel xx
RachelPatricia | November 10, 2011 - 14:46
Sorry, just read it through again and I don't know who I think I am to tell a published poet anything about his work, but I felt the final two lines jarred a little and when I read them through as
'It's not been the same since that Christmas
when I caught my dad dressed-up as Santa.'
- for me it worked a little better, what do you think? I love the poem regardless and hope you don't mind my thoughts, I'm just a big fan of your work that's all :)
mcmanaman | November 10, 2011 - 14:51
You're totally right, scans better your way, thanks Rachel, have changed. Thanks for the feedback. john.
kirincnj | November 12, 2011 - 18:16
Shades of the old song 'Mr. Spaceman' here.
So much to love:
'that one day the man in the bank will rip of his face
unveil three heads
and everything would make sense.'
'there is a man identical to me but is left handed
and loves Marmite
and doesn't have to borrow money from his mum.'
'It's not been the same since that Christmas
I saw my dad dressed as Santa Claus.'
Really good stuff. Very well done.