My Family and Other Animals

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Thu, 14 Jan 2016
  • 3461 reads
10 comments
 
Watching the world outside my window
on a cold, grey January afternoon; observing
the heron rearranging its grey shadow in the hope 
of wrong-footing the fish below...
 
a flight of wild geese, scuds across a rag-torn, 
pernickety sky – all of one mind, whereas
on the ground it’s always the survival
of the fittest, argumentative – worse     
than chickens...
 
pecking order is all...the pack the herd the gaggle
the family. Take my father; his word – law.
The cane, the belt, the cellar...no holds barred 
type of person, yet when mother was ill, cursed 
and fought like crazy, he nursed her till the end.
 
Which just left me, and my sister; hot-house
plants, us two – named accordingly, Jasmine, 
and, Lily, by a man – placed his precious 
botanical treasures on sills, especially 
the shady, north-facing ones
 
and in November the orchid, the cyclamen
even the Venus Flycatcher, are bursting
into bloom, denying them all – water, 
food...room to spread their roots. 
 
Deprivation, the key, a motto 
he swore by. Amazing the difference 
a little legislation...a carefully measured
premature darkness can make; 
 
and down in the cellar, rats reign supreme, 
where nothing dare breathe...not even
the wine.
 
 
 
 
Certificate 12
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Biography

Comments

Submitted by VeraClark on

Deeply moving, lots of original imagery. 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Appreciated, no end.

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been offered by Vera. 

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Ta, Bee...ever so.

Tina

 

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

Once again so much depth and astonishing images.

Lindy

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

So pleased you thought so, Lindy, and just to say it has made my day, hearing from you.  Thanks, so very much, for popping bysmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

A very clever composition that from an initial observation of feathered friends - including the ever present heron - develops into philosophical thoughts about the survival of the fittest, the pecking order which exists in any hierarchy and finally the influence of a disciplinarian father on the family.
I particularly like the line "where nothing, still dare breathe...not even
the wine" although it is my opinion that you could leave out the word 'still'.

Luigi xxx

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hello there, dear Luigi.  Pleased you enjoyed, and as for that word 'still', do you know I quite agree with you.  I had wondered about it myself, and it did jar with me, I must admit.  Many thanks for your wisdom, and have thus edited.

Hope you have a peaceful weekendsmiley

Tina xxx

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

From the freedom of the sky to what lies at the heart of things, wonderful in its layers.

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

So very pleased you thought so.

Tina