'Oh! Nellie the elephant packed her trunks and said goobye
to the circus...off she went with a clumpity clump... clump
....clump... clump! The head of the herd was calling...
far far away.'
Auntie Nellie
died of:
drink, loneliness: & whatever...
(not necessarily in that order) .
And the farm that was
our young days summer holidays
cast her
(youth)
like so much pig slop
to the squelching grunt of
cow dung days
moo cow lowing years
until the dust collected and
settled in the corners
no one could reach....
Time left her(like a Holy Picture)
high above the mantlepiece.
See the children take the coloured cards
in their hands
go play 'Fish in the Pool! '
Scream: 'Snap! '
Laugh at who is left to be:
'Old Maid! '
'Not me! '
'Not me! '
Time never took her
hand like a lover's
...touch...
... Time...
...only...
...waited...
, , , for her.
In her loneliness
she read and re-read and lived on:
Aldous Huxley's - ISLAND.
She said...this said:
'Everything! '
Years, later...when she reads
like a fictional character
in someone's story
when time no more
...mattered.
I travelled to her
ISLAND
, , , and touched her
LONELINESS.
...felt her
LONGING
Auntie Nellie died of:
drink, loneliness: and whatever
(not necessarily in that order) .
...said goodbey to the circus...
...calling far far away...
*******
SAD VALENTINES FOR BREAKFAST
(for Auntie Nellie)
Oh my how
red cock struts
(thinks he's a sultan)
striding in and out among
his harem scarum hens
talking to themselves
like some
lost senile sentimental souls
foolish fowl
they lay eggs for gentlemen
and kids on long hot summer
holidays
they hide their eggs like
broken hearts
like old love
letter secrets
safe in unseen
places.
But see Auntie Nellie
willy nilly as a fox
stalk the chickens
and expose them
cruell as the NEWS OF THE WORLD.
See her raid the haystacks
(back seat of the old car)
rain rusting machinery
her apron pregnant
and precious with
the warm and brown
gift of eggs.
Red Cock crows
loud against the morning marigolds
while children's voices
babble sleepily
into wide awakefulness
love letter secrets
staining their lips
sad valentines
for breakfast.
*******
COMING OF AGE
(for Auntie Nellie)
My Aunt & her friends
are wondering (but not
for long) where I’ve gone.
They drink
their bitter lemon
amid the bitter gossip
of their pub’s sawdust & chatter.
I am hidden under
their noses
under their table
masked by the theatrical
tablecloth
amidst a forest
of female legs
that cross
&
uncross
divide
&
come together
in a language of their own.
This is the one time
they can escape
the chores & drudgery
of their all consuming farms.
Knees dimple
& wink
thighs get scratched
get stroked
as they think & talk
stockings get adjusted
slips & petticoats
get smoothed.
I play with my toy
a tiny dinky car
(vivid scarlet)
& try to ignore
the lightning flash of knickers
& the white thunder of thighs.
My eyes glowing with wonder
as I leave childish
things aside.
The dinky lies forgotten
as I emerge
bright eyed
&
more
grown
up
into their grown up
world.
*******
SEAMS? NAY, ‘TIS NOT SEAMS MADAM...IT IS!
(for Auntie Nellie)
My hand trembling
trying to keep a straight face
drawing a seam
down the back of each of my Auntie’s legs
“Keep it straight…keep it straight! ”
she’d shriek
(giggle as it tickled)
I became quite an expert
at it.
Looking over her shoulder
coquettishly
her heavily mascaraed eyes
eying my handiwork
in the mottled mirror.
Her mouth
a perfect pout
a thread of crimson
squealing:
“Good man…good man
my lovely little man! ”
“Perfect job! ”
And then off we go
to Church
& pray to
God.
*******
SAD VALENTINES and this are obviously companion pieces...My Fav. Poem List is slowly turning into a book by you! . This is so sad! To see the bare bones of someone's life reduced to this degree of lonely empitness is almost unbearable. You keep her alive in your love and awareness of her situation...this amounts to a love poem for her. She may not have got a love poem in real life but you have written a blend of a lament and love poem that serves her well. The utilisation of the Nellie The Elephant song is such a sure touch and when it closes the poem after undergoing an alchemy of sorrow and love...it just clinches the whole thing. My heart was eclipsed and the lovely sorrow(if there could be such a thing!) still calls in my heart...far far away. You save her with your love. Gina XXX
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Oh, Gina said everything that I WANTED to say...about the perfection of this work, the blending of childhood song and a life wasted (to all intents and purposes?) , and yet....that all abiding love with which, as Gina said, 'you saved her with your love.' This is perfection indeed, and I cried.