She’s a naturally happy person.
The mottled concrete walls of the council block she’s moved in to,
Complement her pock-marked, pink skin.
For a rich person,
She’s ugly.
Kevin is a mousey young man with stringy brown hair,
Recovering from drugs,
And she thinks he looks like a very nice man.
They are playing football on cement outside,
-plants are expensive-
The doors to buildings are painted bright colours,
And stand out against the brown stone that is everywhere.
-talking over vegetables, around a table-
She thinks the young mothers coming in,
To learn how to grow turnips,
Learn how to grow confidence in much the same way.
Dirt sticks in clumps but really clothes come off eventually.
Did you know that people move here from Warsaw?
Makes you wonder what Warsaw is like-
Who’s fault it is that people can’t eat alcohol.
She’s hanging knickers out to dry and telling me that she’s discovered,
She don’t want all the shoes that she got,
And would it do to donate them,
And perhaps, a hundred and fifty thousand pounds?
For a rich person she’s lucky but,
They smile when they receive their checks.
Their blue doors fly open,
And when they say thank you, they mean it,
The money is enough.
Round the back,
The husband is in tears.
See – And he’s richer than they are
♦photo - jared bramblet♦
evocative short poetry – words move
Do you see how MANY are glad you are back to your poetry? I cannot tell you how happy it makes me. You write your vision, you write your heart, you write your soul, and sometimes you just write – and it is all good. It is right and true in a way that mine will never be. . .but no matter. . .I can always, and will always read yours (over and over, again and again) and be happy and feel privileged. “I know this man,” I tell myself, and I smile
It is I who am privileged (I have trouble spelling that word always, and see – this time I just had to copy what you’d written and I was alright…no flashing red underlining that I just can’t seem to get spell check to recognise and fix!) to have a person who reads, and encourages my work, and loves my words, just because they are words on a screen that have power. I am not the owner of these words and I am moved too, when I know I have got them right. And I am human so when I allow it, which is rarely, I feel happy that they are not as useless as I sometimes, and falsely, think. Gratitude.
For a rich person, she’s ugly. You bring it, man. Uncompromising. Good stuff.
this is a scene so well painted that i can see the characters clearly and feel their emotions as well…really cool piece
We can learn so much by seeing snippets of others’ lives. Thanks for providing us such a vivid image! It was like I was watching.
Funny that! I wrote while watching tv! Glad you enjoyed it.
swear i thought i commented on this one man…it is a tight write…really like how you build the scene but also the tension…and the move to compassion….
Lots can be seen and done by money and greed, you surely captured a snippet of life and much more.
A great capture of life ! I enjoyed reading it.
Kolembo,
Your words are vivid and have captured the whole scenario within a family kitchen. Normal life for many others living in the same circumstances. Excellent.
Thank you for your visits and comments left at my poems. Much appreciated:)
Eileen
“Makes you wonder what Warsaw is like…” Lots to chew over in this one. You paint some very interesting characters here.
For a rich person she is ugly…:)
The social commentary in your work is at once subtle and robust. The clash of values and experiences and the varying circumstances make this poem read like a novel with twists, turns, conflict and connections.
You are so gifted with the ability to take words and paint poignant and meaningful pictures. I am always moved by your writing.
“For a rich person,
She’s ugly.”
Amazing where beauty can be found. Money often masks true beauty.
I couldn’t possibly critique – overjoyed to see you here again, doing this again… besides, there is a novel’s worth of content here, too much to ruminate in five minutes or less… I’ll get back to you