Avalanche by spack

I agree... it is a poem that gets better with each read. I liked metronome legs and I liked the comparison of being pulled out of the snow like a archealogical find. Magic. A poem about snow with not one cliche in it either! Bravo.

Thanks Foster and Ferg - I was slightly nervous of writing this poem because, well, it just felt a bit wrong to write a poem about... snowboarding. But I'm glad you liked it - the nervousness hopefully helped to keep me on my toes, cliche-wise. Cheers, Joe

Never be nervous about writing poems about things like snowboarding... hey, what did William Carlos Williams say, um, 'no ideas but in things.' Now I've put that there, I realise it's not that relevant, but I like the quote and shall leave it there.

What did Joe Dunthorne say: "all William Carlos Williams quotes are always relevent all of the time." I think Span pulls off a William Carlos Williams detail sometimes: the mobile phone, half on the table, half off. I just think that just works as a detail in such a weirdly profound way. I met a lady who was Williams' neice (I think... some relation...) recently. She was a film maker. Joe

Yes, actually when I first read one of span's poems I was reminded of William Carlos Williams. It's those paired down, subtle-yet-striking images that grab you... and with him I like the hope - he was quite hopeful about human beings, even in the dark bits.

Yep, I need to get a Selected Poems of William Carlos. All I have is a photo copy of... I'm sorry I ate the plums etc. Top poem. joe

That ent true Joe, you have a copy of 'sorry I ate the plums' in a big book. I read it round your house, honest. Yes, I love the metronomic legs in this poem. I also love love love, although you know it is good, 'Pinned to the page, lost punctuation, I felt as though I'd spent hours deciding which God to choose' If I go skiing, will it give me time to choose a God?! Brilliant. Span x

my fav lines At first there were crumbs, toast at pace, then it chased Juliet

I love it, love it, love it. Just one small point: shouldn't body's be bodies' just a thought

Thanks Juliet and Tony! Thanks for noticing the typo, too.

Neat ending, and a 'petite dejeuner' of imagery! Don't understand the 'metronome legs' business though. The only thing it suggests to me that makes some sort of sense (I have no knowledge of snowboarding,) is them using their legs to swish left and right in regular rhythm. Or something. I dunno.