The Friday Pazar in Gorna Oryahovitsa

Cherry

By Turlough

Tue, 16 Nov 2021
  • 1988 reads
16 comments
 

Coffee imbibed, strong and black.

Old men sit and talk and cough and hack

Beneath a fig tree even older.

Tobacco smoked, even stronger

To blunt the edge

Of the strong rakia

Rolled around the blackened teeth

To blunt the edge

Of the women’s tongues

In mouths bitter and dry

From years of toil and asking why.

 

But all around them people haggle

At tables where the raggle taggle

Gypsies sell their wares and bedraggled

Mules and dogs and kids all straggle.

 

Medals from some forgotten war.

Balkan meatballs fried or raw.

More choices here than in any store.

Special price sir! Good deals galore!

 

Old cameras lying in a heap

Where homeless cats will creep or sleep.

Fattened chickens going cheap.

Their babies going cheep, cheep, cheep!

 

There’s nothing that you can’t buy here.

Books and records reduced to clear.

The finest broken chandeliers.

Rich treasures from those bygone years.

 

Kitsch and fleeces, bits and pieces.

Frilly frocks from aunts for nieces.

My cardiovascular system ceases

As kebabs are served from where the grease is

Full bodied, sweet and well matured

Flowing freely from flesh that's skewered.

‘Very tasty’, I’m assured.

But to save my heart I find I’m lured

By a girl with juicy water melons,

A Santa hat with a little bell on,

Spare parts for an AK-47

And a plastic statue of Vladimir Lenin.

 

A pile of antique mobile phones.

An ashtray ‘Greetings sent from Rome’.

Hristo Botev's famous poems.

A vinyl armchair bleeding foam.

Boots once worn by an unknown Tsar.

Tourist tat brought from afar.

No suq or market’s more bizarre

Than the Gorna Oryahovitsa Friday Pazar.

 

 

Image: Created myself at Gorna Oryahovitsa railway station, having omitted to take photographs of the Friday Pazar in Gorna Oryahovitsa.

Certificate 12
Poem
Poetry in Commotion
Travel
Humour

Comments

Submitted by marandina on

Well all the sights and sounds of a market captured skillfully in this poem. I was right there watching. Great photo too. Paul

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you for your kind comment, Paul, and for taking the time to read the poem. 

I need to take more photographs in Gorna Oryahovitsa. It's a nice little town but because it's neither on our doorstep nor so far away that it requires a day trip, I tend to forget. 

 

Turlough

Submitted by celticman on

you've caught me. But I must admit I don't like coffee 'mbibied'. I prefer it drunk. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Do you know who the most hated person in football is? Well I'll tell you ... it's the man who stands on the terrace at Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa and shouts 'Give us an L'.

Turlough

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I really like ": "The finest broken chandeliers" how much history!

 

"A pile of antique mobile phones.

An ashtray ‘Greetings sent from Rome’.

Hristo Botev's famous poems.

A vinyl armchair bleeding foam."

for some reason this list made me think of the Mari Wilson song "Just What I Always Wanted"

 

Your poem is so full of wonderful juxtapositions -animals along with people,  bits for AK47s and Santa bells, poetry and foam :0)

 

Submitted by Turlough on

In the hours since I posted the poem on the ABCT site I've thought of a dozen or more important things that I should have mentioned. A few more and I'll have enough for a sequel. Although it takes place in a scruffy car park, the pazar is a bit of an Aladdin's Cave. My wife and I go every Friday morning, telling ourselves that all we need is a few tomatoes, and we always come home with something totally unnecessary but equally irresistible. 

Thank you very much for your comment. It's always interesting to hear your opinion. 

Turlough

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you for the cherries!

I'm not sure who puts them there or whether or not this is the best way to express my thanks, but I am always grateful. Cherries or no cherries, I enjoy writing and posting my work on this site, but when they appear they always boost my incentive to sit down and write a bit more. 

Turlough

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Turlough,

I know how you feel about markets, it's a place you can spend hours browsing around and time seems to fly. I think your market sounds a lot more interesting than any I've ever been too. The people must be fascinating, especially the Gypsies. I do have to admit I haven't been to a market for many years, so it was good to be taken around yours with your clear account of your visit.

Wonderful depiction in a well rhymed poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Hello Jenny,

Our markets here are fascinating but I would never visit one with a list of things I need to buy. It's all too random for that. Even the ones that only sell fruit and vegetables are eye openers as they have produce that I've never seen before or things I have seen but preserved or presented in such a way that I don't recognise them. They're a good place to go to to improve my grasp of the language too, though I wonder if I might be using my limited Bulgarian vocabulary with a Gypsy accent.

I'm greatful that you took the time to read and comment upon my poem. Thank you very much.

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

The rhythm and rhyme so helps to convey the bustle and busyness and noise of such a market. Quite fascinating.

telling ourselves that all we need is a few tomatoes, and we always come home with something totally unnecessary but equally irresistible. reminded me of what people say of Aldi here with their varying 'extras' on sale eg' that you go in for some milk and come out with a chainsaw'!

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Hello Rhiannon,

Everybody in Bulgaria already has a chainsaw. I never in my wildest dreams saw myself as being the owner of one, but I am, and I use it regularly. The performance of one's chainsaw is always high on the list of topics of conversation when meeting friends. Vegetation grows so quickly here that it's an annual struggle to stop the wilderness taking over our land so a chainsaw, along with other wood cutting tools, is an essential part of our kit.

I've cut down many old dead trees and mis-shapen diseased or damaged trees but I've also planted many new ones. None of this was part of my plan when I moved away from England, which makes my life seem like one huge trip to Aldi.

I'm grateful, as ever, for our interest and comments.  

Turlough

Submitted by Di_Hard on

am really enjoying all this information about Bulgaria, you will have us all wanting to go there :0)

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Di, you should come here. It is an absolutely beautiful place. In the five and a half years that I have lived here I have had many visitors, all of whom have said it was not at all what they had expected. It's not without its problems but my missus and I love it here.

I'm glad you find what I say interesting. This country has been good to me and the only way I feel I can pay it back is by staying forever and spending my money here, and by encouraging others to come and see the place too.

Don't tell any Bulgarians that I said this but all the former Communist countries here in the Balkans are unbelievably beautiful (especially Montenegro and Albania) and very cheap too.

I'll get the kettle on for you!

Turlough

Submitted by Di_Hard on

my dad was always saying that, too :0) 

sadly I don't have any money to spend anywhere, but if I do, will definitely visit

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Interesting and evocative snapshot of life in Bulgaria. It sounds like it has plenty of character, and perhaps more variety or surprises than places that have been capitalist or western for longer?

Submitted by Turlough on

Thanks David for reading and commenting. 

Bulgaria is still a wonderfully Eastern place but the Western influence is sadly creeping in slowly but surely. For example, Hallowe'en doesn't exist in the Eastern Orthodox calendar but in the five and bit years that I have lived here I have seen more and more pumpkins smashed to bits than eaten each year.

Still, it's better than living in Basinstoke.

I hope you are fit and well.

Turlough