Ingrid

Gold cherry

By Philip Sidney

Sat, 20 May 2017
  • 3566 reads
12 comments
 

Grey Sunday, Casablanca, tea slopped over homework,
to be finished in maths, sat at the back, pretending to listen -
cheap little actress, lashes caked, Diana Dors hair, braless at mass,
taking the sacrament, full of sin, dreaming of Paris –
all gamine, dancing with Gene to a Gershwin track,
or a missionary in the Inn of Sixth Happiness, tenacious
like mother – doppelganger Ingrid in her angsty roles,
wavy hair, rolling eyes, highly-strung, screeching pitched
to mimic a flea in the ear, violin vocals, cheese-wire sharp,
she wipes my painted face with the back of her hand,
hers is beatific, back-lit and soft-focussed through false tears
as I raise eyes in devotional imitation of Madonnina – 
guttersnipe Mary of the streets - so beautiful
I stole the holy-card from Sister Joan.

Certificate 12
Poem
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

Diana Dors hair [Diana Dor's hair]

Art theft. Reminds me of a priest that thought he could trust us with the tuck box. Several Mars's encounters later, he found we were full of chocolate covered sin. 

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Haha - the crookedness of children :)  Not sure about the Diana Dors apostrophe - I might just change it to Marilyn hair...

Thanks for the cherriessmiley

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Love the vivid imagery in this Phillip - and please keep Diana Dors in (no apostrophe needed, but if it were, it would be Dors') - she was so quintessentially english!

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day - and what a fab Inspiration Point. I hope we get lots of takers!

Please share/retweet if you like it

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Great stuff Philip, flows so well, ....'full of sin, dreaming of Paris, all gamine' has a lovely lilt. And Diana Dors hair has just the right blowsy image.

Linda

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Nicely veiled. Enjoyed muchly. And learned a new word into the bargain.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Kilb50 on

So much to admire in this, Philip. Great read!

 

Submitted by rosaliekempthorne on

Nice.  Full of beauty and insight.

Submitted by Ed Crane on

 

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Helen

This is a really compact bit of poetry - says so much and in such an interesting way. Far better to steal a holy card than a mars bar.

Jean

 

Jean Day

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

What a marvellous account of a lost soul in a convent education, Helen. A rebellious and down to earth character more in tune with Diana Dors and  Ingrid Bergman, her namesake, than with Mother Theresa.
A most enjoyable piece; thanks for sharing it.

Luigi x

 

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks you so much for the pick of the day - and thank you all for reading and your lovely comments - Jean, I feel absolved :).