Old Pumpkins

Cherry

By Ray Schaufeld

Tue, 28 Oct 2014
  • 3939 reads
11 comments
 
Blue eyes on watery blue.
Arthritis, diabetes, mood stabiliser meds
Sit on the sideboard.
Jill's up at four emptying her bladder.
She listens to Black music, sipping coffee.
The mewing tortoiseshell furball settles her dressing-gown lap.
Jack's not far behind.
 
November's better
Now the Housing's put in central heating.
Friday she's at St Brides,
Polishing her sonnets, meeting friends.
He takes the grandbairns to the City Farm;
Jemima the big white duck and Rust the Iron Age pig.
Their walls are bright with Art.
 
Approaching septegenuaria,
 They are never without ghosts,
From childhood trees and dreams
To knots from times gone wrong
Unravelling to maypole ribbons
In the gavotte of Meaning's hide and seek;
And the people been and gone in the many peopled street,
Before they signed for their keys,
Shake down like falling autumn
To mainly peaceful presences of balance.
 
Halloween, Samhain, the night before All Saints
And two old pumpkins;
Their treat - fish supper with pungent vinegar
Their trick - staying alive.
 
 

 

Certificate U
Poem
I came to Scotland to study English
Love
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

This is lovely, in so many ways!

'in the gavotte of Meaning's hide and seek', beautiful.

One to come back to I think.

Lindy

Submitted by VeraClark on

Thoroughly enjoyed the originality of this, vivid characterisation and the last line's a treat.

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Starfish Girl,Vera, thanks for reading and commenting. If I were asked to write a love poem on Valentine's day I would have no idea what to do, but Halloween's my time of year. My birthday's in the early  hours of November 1st, All Saint's Day. I always feel there's a restless energy in the air from about mid-October because of seasonal change and it shakes down and settles around Nov 1st.

Thank you greengrocer for the cherries.

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

From the first stanza to the last, a delight Elsie. Very accomplished.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Bee on

This is lovely, Elsie. 

Very much enjoyed. 

Bee

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Luigi, Bee, cheers!

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

A wonderful, piece, elsie. Thoroughly enjoyedsmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Thanks Tina, I am glad you enjoyed my optimistic imaginings of my futuresmiley

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Many thanks.

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Elsie

I agree with all the others that this is a wonderful poem. I really enjoyed reading it.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Jean thanks, I'm 58 today and I enjoyed recieving your comment. I have a good evening planned for after work, friends, food and drinksmiley