An Incident on the Line


from the ABC set Silver Spun Sand Poems

No one saw him fall –
the man who left behind
a battered, leather suitcase
crammed full of mountains
and forests,
pyramids, deserts, waterfalls
and canyons;

bursting at the seams
with windswept beaches and castles
made from sand. Bikini-clad
girls and brown-skinned boys
in Y-fronts. And promises
made in the heat of the moment;
voices, preserved in brine.

Discuss this piece in the abctales forum


Comments

Sikander | August 12, 2009 - 21:27

This is gorgeous, Sliver.
Your choice of line breaks is fantastic.
A beautiful snapshot of a life - perfectly preserved.

Silver Spun Sand | August 12, 2009 - 22:30

Thankyou, Sikander.

Silver

threeleafshamrock | August 12, 2009 - 22:52

Top notch as usual Tina; very good indeed!

Chris XX

Silver Spun Sand | August 13, 2009 - 11:13

And my thanks to you, Chris;-)

Tina xx

MistakenMagic | August 13, 2009 - 11:18

Mouth-watering imagery Tina! It's nice to see a shorter poem from you but it is still crammed full of the usual Tina essence ;) Especially love:

'a battered, leather suitcase
crammed full of mountains
and forests,
pyramids, deserts, waterfalls
and canyons;'

and the last line rounds it all off perfectly!

Magic xxx

Cavalcaderl | August 13, 2009 - 12:02

Silver-spun-sand
great imagageries here
Congrat: *on the Cherry
I agree
a battered leather suitcase
crammed full! of mountains
and forests.
pyramids,deserts,waterfalls
and canyons
jule xx (:-.

Cavalcaderl | August 13, 2009 - 14:00

Silver-spun-sand
Hubby just downloaded my 1st magazine
Issue 15
Wow what a cracker you are but
I see a likeness mind me saying
in "Eva Petrelengo" fortune teller
I ahve not had time yet raed all stories on here, just brief it all.
They are all amazing work
Must get busy and read later give me ideas
Beeme is my helper twinning to-gether at
moment.
julie xx Cavalcader (-:

Cavalcaderl | August 13, 2009 - 15:50

Silver-spun-sand
nice to hear from you welcome back
very good and suit case is
like a make- up never know
what is in it!
Iv'e just had sausages in Brine!
Love all of it.
Beeme and I been busy!
and me here! but not quite finished yet.
Iv'e learnt to do smiley sign
through you thanks and done profile again
so improving my name is in Forum I didn't do
pleased wonder? who.
julie xx (:-
I can do smiley's thanks you taught me

Bradene | August 13, 2009 - 17:44

This response to this weeks IP is brilliant Tina, I've been scratching my head all week but nothing has materialised so far. Well done. Val x

Silver Spun Sand | August 13, 2009 - 17:46

Thanks Magic for looking so deeply at the poem - but then you always do;-)

Yes, you are right, it certainly is a lot shorter than many I have written recently. Actually, between you and me, this did have another verse, but it was quite superfluous when I really thought about it.

So pleased you enjoyed it and I have to say, I do find the IP quite marvellous for curing writer's block...if only momentarily, unfortunately.

Tina xxx

Silver Spun Sand | August 13, 2009 - 17:49

Thanks so much for that, Val;-)

Prior to writing this (thank goodness for the IP sometimes) I really was suffering from writer's block and this seems to have temporarily 'oiled the cogs', so to speak.

So pleased you got something from it.

Tina xx

Silver Spun Sand | August 13, 2009 - 17:57

Hello there Julie ... thank you so much for all your lovely comments. I appreciate it;-)

Eva Petulengro, no less. I am flattered and you can call me a 'cracker' any time you like...my other half usually calls me a 'crackpot' so it makes a nice variation on a theme;-)

Funnily enough, you mention the latest ABC mag - well I downloaded it today for the first time too. I didn't have the software on my machine before, but installed it today and hey presto!!

Yes, it is a really good issue. Everyone on the editorial team works so hard and it is certainly something for them to be proud of.

Glad you enjoyed my poem too and I thank you for reading, as always, and for your refreshing enthusiasm. Now, I'm off to read a few palms and maybe some tea-leaves;-)

Tina X

Beeme | August 14, 2009 - 10:32

Sorry Tina, looks like I'm late on commenting.

I just read your poem and I think it is suberb!
I love it all, you description is so simple and yet you produce such great imagery. One of your best poems I think.

I loved this line;
'And promises
made in the heat of the moment;
voices, preserved in brine.'
-it is also the perfect finish, as Magic said :-)

Beeme xx

Silver Spun Sand | August 14, 2009 - 12:00

Beeme- no apologies necessary;-) My thanks to you for reading and for taking the trouble to let me know how much you enjoyed this - a reward in itself.

Tina xx

Beeme | August 14, 2009 - 12:55

It really is an amazing poem, tina :-) I forgot to congratulate you on the cherry, well done!

Beeme xx

Silver Spun Sand | August 14, 2009 - 13:45

;-)

Tina xx

Cavalcaderl | August 14, 2009 - 20:45

new Silver-spun-sand
I think I said Cogratulations
on the cherry.
the computer up the wall last night
my name now gone of the Forum
and every comment I did.one said
you not authorised to comment!
and all said and mine
login or register
so have ok.
mine calls me worse!
but I went fete had goes
things guess name of Bunny
well I love Honey hence
Honey Bunny I won him.
needs a clean.

julie cavalcader xx (:-
still got read all mag:
and congats:all and Editors brill:

Silver Spun Sand | August 14, 2009 - 21:08

Congratulations, Julie!! I've often tried guessing the name of things, and I have never succeeded.

Hope bunny cleans up a treat;-)

By the way, I love honey too, use it in place of sugar all the time.

Yes, I have seen you there up on the Forum. Well done. Very well done;-)

Tina x

andrew-evans | August 22, 2009 - 22:55

I wish i could write like this, i try my absoulute best to get power and emotion behind my peices and so often fail. You always seem to get eveything you want to say in and i must congratulate you on that. This is another amazing piece and look forward to reading more of your work

littleditty | August 23, 2009 - 10:19

perfect capture, lot contained in that case -also linked to a recent news story on the telly? Really liked this poem Tina :)x

Silver Spun Sand | August 26, 2009 - 16:05

Andrew - my sincere thanks to you. Glad that it inspired you and by the way, taking a look at your work, you are certainly on the way to achieving your goals.

Tina

Silver Spun Sand | August 26, 2009 - 16:07

Ld - it is always so good to hear from you and I'm glad you liked this one. It is amazing, sometimes, what the old IP can manage to entice out of the woodwork;-)

As far as the news story is concerned, I have to say I am not familiar with it, but I will try racking the brains of my good friend Mr. Google, to see if he can throw some light.

Hope you are well;-)

Tina xx