1994 Vintage Sindy-Space 4x4 Camper Home Jeep Mountain Fun. Original Box.

Gold cherry

By sid

Thu, 21 Nov 2019
  • 3209 reads
10 comments
 

 

 

I'm haunted
by the Sindy camper van
I received for Christmas
in nineteen-ninety-four. 
I looked it up online
out of nostalgia, and the moment I saw it I was seven again.
The smell of the plastic, the colour of salmon.
Turquoise seats, purple trim
like a nineties tracksuit.
The mint-condition example on eBay
came with all of the plastic accessories.
A tiny plastic dining-set,
frying pan and spatula
boombox, tennis racquets
A pair of little dumbbells,
‘cause Sindy is always living her best life.
The frying pan has a decal with eggs on it.

My doll had many mini-breaks, 
parked up behind the settee
enjoying a nice glass of OJ
in the aurora cast by the evening news
Thinking plastic thoughts
whilst her plastic horse looked on.

He is a majestic beast.
He has a love heart branded on his rump
which I drew in pink felt-pen
when I could not imagine a creature
more perfect.
I needed to express my undying love
and my ownership.

Twenty-five years later I'm haunted
by the thought of Sindy, her camper-van
her accessories, her horse -
her beautiful horse -
somewhere dark
Smelly. Rancid.
The horse's silver mane 
still shines bright
long after my atoms are dispersed
his still cling together.
An eternity of slow corruption
the love heart on his bottom a betrayal

Certificate U
Poem
Unclassified

Comments

Submitted by fatboy74 on

Really enjoyed this - great last line. 

 

Submitted by sid on

Ah thanks so much! This is the first poem I've written in a very long time - I feel like a different person to when I was writing last. I'm pleased you said that about the last line because I wasn't sure about it, dithered about chopping it, wondered if it was over explanatory or if I should just leave the betrayal implied. But since it has your approval it can stay!

Thank you for reading!

 

Submitted by fatboy74 on

I see what you mean and you could leave it out, but I like the mixture of humour/pathos it adds. I find it so hard coming back to writing poetry after a long break, so hats off to you for writing something so good. 

 

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

Yes the last line should stay. 
And it's made me think of my Evel Knievel camper, back and sides ripped off it so it formed a kind of skateboard, sliding down the side of the quarry on it, breaking land speed records. In my head.

 

These childhood toys, they come back to haunt us.  

 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

So nice to see you've written something new sid. I love that last line, and like the others this piece has struck a chord with me. Love the image of your Sindy having mini breaks smiley. Please come back soon with more writing!

 

Submitted by sid on

Thanks so much! Really excited to get cherries, too, so thanks to the cherry fairies. It’s nice to do some reading on the site again. Whenever I return after a long absence I’m always amazed at the quality of the writing you find here. Where else can you read such an interesting and exciting variety of work 

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

As the Christmas buying frenzy approaches, a great reminder of the power of old things, and their fates.  This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day!  Please do share if you enjoy it too.

Picture:  Pixabay Creative Commons  (I so wanted to use the Ebay picture of the actual campervan, but I wasn't sure of the copyright stuff!)

Submitted by sid on

Thanks so much for that! 

 

Submitted by Stephen Thom on

'The horse's silver mane still shines bright / long after my atoms are dispersed ' - wonderful memories, the passage of time, wonderful poem

 

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

An eternity of slow corruption
the love heart on his bottom a betrayal

Loved that ending, Sid. And the bit with the hand-drawn heart. Brilliant. I had a recent experiance when I came across the 1965 James Bond 007 Attache Case. My best boyhood Christmas present. My reaction wasn't as heart-felt and wonderful as yours, though. Hard to get teary over a gun with a silencer, but damn it was cool. Truly enjoyed your take on an old joy. Cheers.

Rich