For Sale - Sold as Seen

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Fri, 06 Feb 2015
  • 2624 reads
10 comments
 
The yard full of clutter – an old sink, 
a has-been lavatory cistern, to ‘come in handy
one of these days’.  An oil can, various lids
from aerosols of gold paint in a cacophony 
of varying variations of a theme...
 
another one of Dad’s crazy schemes –
drove Mum to an early grave.  Cherubs –
once graced the Sistine Chapel...his spiel;
in reality, plaster-of-Paris lookalikes –
fashioned in his workshop – yesterday.
 
The down-pipe’s leaking, again, the gate
still squeaks...the willow’s been denuded...
pollarded – cut off...axed in its prime...bare, 
stark, primeval, like some prehistoric monster
making a V sign at a bruised, February sky...
 
Upstairs, in the loo – still the same 
Hint of Pine Air-Wick, and a toilet roll needs 
replacing.  My dad’s room – a stark
reminder of how booze ruins lives; Mum
gazes disapprovingly down from the wall –
a glad to be rid of him look in her eyes. 
 
In ‘our’ room, pleated school skirts – 
still in Sketchley Cleaner’s bags...
three sizes ago, a hockey stick, still bearing
the scars of the KLG playing fields...
now a housing estate, north of Kingston.
 
Through the window – Dad’s shirt, 
blowing on the line; a no-hope angel 
desperate to take flight.  The swing-seat –
motionless – despite the breeze, still 
mourning the fact, that, never again
will it get to hold her;
 
plump the pillow on my late sister’s bed...
old habits die hard; a plume of dust, settles, 
the residue offers itself to the ether, like a cloud, 
like a blessing, and I, myself, ache to be held
by arms, no longer there.
Certificate 12
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Spiritual
Love

Comments

Submitted by VeraClark on

That house is very telling. You can tell a whole history through 'things' and done with your usual finesse

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

,,,a cracker of a first sentence there, Vera.  Telling, indeed.

Tina

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

The material remains of lives lived, poignant.

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Your thoughts, inspired as ever, Philip.

Tina

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Sketches indicating the heartaches. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Succinctly put, Rhiannon.  Thank you, so much.

Tina

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

 Hi Tina,

if walls could talk, what stories they could tell. It was as if those walls were talking through your words. Observing the accounts, I even got a picture in my head of each reflection. Very well put.

Jenny.

 

 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

'If walls could talk'... Jenny, indeed.

Tina

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Tina

I really loved the way you did this - told so much of the history of a family by remembering bits from the house and garden.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Jean - my thanks to you for popping by.  Much appreciated.

Tina