The Fanatic

Cherry

By chant

Wed, 21 Oct 2015
  • 1363 reads
8 comments
 

I'd had more than my share of knock-backs
when I strode into the latest gastropub

its baroque tables bathed by green lamps.
Leather menu, in fine print: fried calamari;

goat’s cheese salad; french onion soup;
wild mushroom risotto ... a blindfold

of choices. Dully I flapped off
a buzzing waiter. Babble, shrill laughter.

The crushed velvet suit opposite
was dabbing his lover’s lips. I lifted

my knife. One set menu for all
I itched to shout. Or boom!

Blow the joint. Beef carpaccio;
panko crusted fish goujons; baked clams

with garlic butter. I nearly stood up
spun at them this seat that had

sight of the restroom, gluttons,
hedonists. Come the next life ...

A power flicker, momentarily, the lamps
dimmed - a sign as I slipped out.

I understand you have a restaurant.

--
Twitter: @ianjmclachlan
Instagram: /ianjmclachlan

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by cassiegoeswild on

Sometimes you just need a beer and a bowl of chips eh.

Cass

Submitted by chant on

hey Cass, thanks for reading & commenting. Ian

 

Submitted by Bee on

Loved the flow and rhyme, and the brilliantly conjured images, eg. 'The crushed velvet suit opposite
was dabbing his lover’s lips'. I could hear the shrill laughter, and smell the atmosphere, glad to get out as the narrator. 

Bee

Submitted by chant on

thanks Bee, glad you liked it. :-)

 

Submitted by Deliberately Ev... on

I agree with Bee - you can smell the pungent smells of rich foods and the honking laughter of the contrived. Brilliant picture. 

The beat of your heart is the mellifluent rhythm to my soul.

Submitted by chant on

thanks for your nice comment Ae. Ian

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Faux decadence can be depressing, I love all the Oscar Wilde trimmings myself.  Interesting voice, a fanatic, I want to know more about this character.

Submitted by chant on

thanks for your thoughts Philip. this character feels overwhelmed by choice. he starts to become a fanatic when he considers restricting the choices of those around him in order to feel more comfortable himself.