"...putting my hand
down, groping with bleeding
fingers for truths too
frightening to be bought up"
R.S.Thomas
I don't remember when I saw it last,
where to look, the albums?
No, I woudn't have put you there,
with the happy, glossy memories.
Moving condenses, contracts life
into something smaller, you learn to let go
of books, letters, old christmas cards, things outgrown.
Some books survived, heavy names,
Tolstoy, Harper lee, Burgess.
My eyes are drawn to the pencil thin spines
of cherished poetry. A child in a sweet shop
trying to imagine the taste, the texture,
the feel in my mouth, before parting with my hot penny.
Each volume is slender, as if too much of one thing
would make you sick.
R.S Thomas, he suits the rain
and the bare afternoon, the blank window.
It falls open somewhere near the middle, and I catch you
in both hands, then I remember, trying to decide
what to keep and what to leave, and without looking,
slipping you in and weighing you down
with Orwell, Laclos and McCarthy.
Comments
Silver Spun Sand | May 17, 2010 - 17:25
I love this, Shirley...you have captured so effectively, the melancholy of moving on, however much, or not as the case may be, we want to.
It is difficult to pick a favourite line, or stanza but I think this one demonstrates most effectively the mood of the poem as a whole:-
"Each volume is slender, as if too much of one thing
would make you sick.
R.S Thomas, he suits the rain
and the bare afternoon, the blank window."
Much enjoyed.
Tina
shoe | May 17, 2010 - 18:32
Thank you so much Tina, I think I needed the I.P to jump start my writing, glad this has worked for you.
maggyvaneijk | May 18, 2010 - 08:17
This is a great poem, appeals to all the senses. Love the imagery you have chosen to describe the love of books:
A child in a sweet shop
trying to imagine the taste, the texture,
the feel in my mouth, before parting with my hot penny
shoe | May 18, 2010 - 09:09
Thanks Maggy, luckily books aren't fattening!
MistakenMagic | May 19, 2010 - 15:28
Tina's already picked out my favourite stanza, but yes I loved those lines! Well done on a very well-deserved cherry ;)
Magic xxx
shoe | May 19, 2010 - 19:19
Thanks Magic, those slender volumes are like old friends, pleased you liked this one.
kheldar | May 28, 2010 - 23:18
Really enjoyed this one, great stuff.
David xx :--)
Kahdai | June 5, 2010 - 09:51
Good that I.P. helped jump start you shoe. I like the sweet shop part best too :) Kahdai