Soil Poem by Roger McGough

Soil

Rating: 3.9


we've ignored eachother for a long time
and I'm strictly an indoor man
anytime to call would be the wrong time
I'll avoid you as long as I can

When I was a boy we were good friends
I made pies out of you when you were wet
And in childhood's remembered summer weather
We roughandtumbled together
We were very close

just you and me and the sun
the world a place for having fun
always so much to be done

But gradually I grew away from you
Of course you were still there
During my earliest sexcapades
When I roughandfumbled
Not very well after bedtime
But suddenly it was winter
And you seemed so cold and dirty
That I stayed indoors and acquired
A taste for girls and clean clothes

we found less and less to say
you were jealous so one day
I simply upped and moved away

I still called to see you on occasions
But we had little now in common
And my visits grew less frequent
Until finally
One coldbright April morning
A handful of you drummed
On my fathers waxworked coffin

at last it all made sense
there was no need for pretence
you said nothing in defence

And now recently
While travelling from town to town
Past where you live
I have become increasingly aware
Of you watching me out there.
Patient and unforgiving
Toying with the trees.

we've avoided eachother for a long time
and I'm strictly a city man
anytime to call would be the wrong time
I'll avoid you as long as I can

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 06 October 2015

This is one of the best poems I have read. Again he roughandtumbles his words but he never roughand fumbles them

32 1 Reply
Thomas Vaughan Jones 02 March 2014

It's almost a bit Stephen Kingish. The thought of sentient and omnipresent soil, watching your every move. Watching. Waiting. Brrrr. Makes me prefer the warmth of cremation.

13 2 Reply
Astral Shepherd 16 December 2005

an imaginative piece and i doubt if love of life could be expressed better. the tri-line rhyming stanzas are a brilliant bit of creativity allowing a sublte break from the other stanzas. I Love the roughandtumble and roughandfumble, so rich with imagery. It is very apparent, to me anyway, that these poems i’ve been reading were meant to be read aloud….many, many times

11 3 Reply
Justin Gonzalez 12 January 2013

A great representation of a dying childhood without being so direct on the topic, I love it.: P

12 1 Reply
Reginald Ruwende 30 June 2016

Wooooooow! ! ! Exquisite creativity, thanks for sharing Rodger

11 2 Reply
ANONYMOUS 26 May 2022

you

0 0 Reply
ANONYMOUS 26 May 2022

I see you lookin' at my pic I see...

0 0 Reply
Kolette Montague 06 February 2022

This had me intrigued from the very start. What a wonderful poem!

0 0 Reply
Chinedu Dike 04 February 2022

Insightful and profound......

0 0 Reply
Richard Antwi 15 June 2020

Letme die a youngman's death even if I am..... I share the same sentiments with you-well done!

1 0 Reply
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Roger McGough

Roger McGough

Liverpool / England
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