It has red and white squares
Like a chess board
She beams
I’ll be mother
You be Queen
The holy water is topped up
The candles burning bright
I quietly bathe my broken skin
Hope that it will heal
Shall we eat
We sit in the corner
Empty plates
Broken spoons
Dished up
Powered down
Running low on prayers
She takes a deep breath
I’ll be mother
You be Queen
My head jolts
The sandwiches are electric
She squeals
Everything is bright and ringing
Perfect weather for a picnic
She beams
Baked potatoes
Wooden floor
Sunday evening ticking
Delicious
She smacks her lips
Licking up a morphine kiss
Sealing it with glue
There is a shark in the ceiling
A fire on the floor
I don’t know what to do
All you can do is dance in the dust
She says
As if the world is full of joy
And we spin in it
Happy
Lucky
No spiders left to chase away
Ignorance fills our plates with bliss
Nothing makes it better
Every can counts
She skips and dances
You
Can
Can
She spreads out the cotton cloth
It has red and white squares
The holy water is topped up
The candles burning bright.
She has it right, "Dance like no one's looking" and if they are there, ignore, pretend they aren't there. :). Another lovely addition.
ReplyDeleteI think you are both right - no harm in a little secret dancing - thank you kindly Luk Lei :)
DeleteWow. "Ignorance fills our plates with bliss
ReplyDeleteNothing makes it better" But for one holy moment
before discovering "the sandwiches are electric" and the kisses
are morphine and glue, there is brightness and dance. I get that it is so unusual that "I don't know what to do." And then, it isn't real, and for the first time Alice seems to be more from the other side--neither kin nor kind. Ooph. Under these circumstances "You can can" is torture. Quite the zinger of a poem. BTW, congratulations on your interview!
Thank you Susan - it is hard to get used to things being ok that's for sure..we can always count on Alice to tip the scales either way I guess..maybe that is her peculiar delight! Thank you and for your comment on the chat..much appreciated
DeleteEven I was surprised in the shift in style! The normal allusions are here along with the word play but 'the shark in the ceiling and the fire on the floor' signals a change, however all is resolved and calmed with the dancing (Can-Can), the normality of the tablecloth and the brightly burning candles and this reader can relax again.
ReplyDeleteAnd relax! Thank you Old Egg - we danced..had a picnic and even added some colour.. in j world ..that's pretty good going..thank you as always..
Delete"As if the world is full of joy", 'As if' cuts into the soul like a sharp knife...so heart numbing and sad...life is no picnic indeed when we're in between shark and fire & left to dance in the dust...
ReplyDeleteThank you Sumana - life certainly isn't always a good picnic..but perhaps we can learn to pack the right ingredients to try and make it just a little better
DeleteAll you can do is dance in the dust
ReplyDeleteShe says
As if the world is full of joy
And we spin in it
Happy
Lucky
I love thse lines and these 'you can you can you can' My mother had a saying that always helped me because I found math and sports so difficult she say If you think you can you can ' I hear this in these lines I know you can find joy you can be happy reach for it.
Thank you Sheilagh - your mother was spot on! her wise words have been shared with you ..I was terrible at maths and sport too but forged a permanent sick note for sports - probably explains a lot!
DeleteI was always awful at sports (my physical education teacher always put she tried hard and would pass me but I was bad at most sports)and math I worked hard at the basics I got thanks to my mother who would use physical objects to explain it to me but the other calculus and other maths were like a foreign language to me.
DeleteWhat a wonderful mum - and daughter ;)
DeleteThis poem is haunting, my friend. Between a shark and the fire, and no wings with which to lift up. The candles and holy water add a sacramental feel of ritual, somehow. So powerful "ignorance fills our plates with bliss/nothing makes it better", and "as if the world was full of joy and we spin in it happy lucky". This poem hits my heart, a poem with impact.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sherry - as if a rock and a hard place weren't hard enough we think up a shark and a fire! The candles and water were special today - thank you
DeleteAll you can do is dance in the dust
ReplyDeleteAs if the world is full of joy
And we spin in it
It's all in the hope that we keep alive in our hearts isn't it... beautiful lines Jae.
Yes - the only place where it can come from...thank you so thotpurge
DeleteA beautiful poem. Enjoyed reading it :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Purba :)
Delete"All you can do is dance...as if the world is full of joy."
ReplyDeleteMy mind got stuck on those words. I love them.
Wonderful poem Jae. Hope we don't eat plates full of ignorance. I don't think it tastes like bliss.
Thank you Myrna - I am glad you got stuck in the dance not on the plate - I doubt it tastes nice
DeleteShe smacks her lips
ReplyDeleteLicking up a morphine kiss
Sealing it with glue
Gosh Jae, this poem is alive with vibrant details and speak volumes to its reader. I agree, life isn't always a picnic but we make the most of what we have. Beautifully written.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
That's true Sanaa - the more sunshine and smiles we can hold inside the better we can make things for ourselves - thank you
DeleteYes I can, love this poem! Your way with words is magical! A little like an acid trip if you don't mind me saying so Jae. Lol!
ReplyDeleteI am very glad you can - thank you Bekkie - kind of a poor relation to an acid trip and don't mind at all!
DeleteWhat an electric picnic. I could see spark flying. Or is that what lit the floor on fire? Too much dust.
ReplyDeleteYou are sharp as a tack (other) Alice - always too much dust - thank you
DeleteI'll be prince, you be princess. Cake?
ReplyDeleteVisit Keith's Ramblings
I would be honoured your majesty - so long as it's Victoria Sponge (of course) - thank you King Keith ;)
DeleteAll you can do is dance in the dust and eat with broken utensils. Alice you CAN!
ReplyDeleteThank you Leslie - in some ways Alice is indeed a go-to girl :)
DeleteAll you can do is dance in the dust - I like this part of the poem it has a positive message that we can still dance even when things in the world are not going quite right. We spin it no spiders to chase away..could be referencing a web and we are all connective in the web of life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely comment - thank you Truedessa - for finding the positive and the connections
DeleteWhat an electric picnic. I could see spark flying. Or is that what lit the floor on fire? Too much dust.
ReplyDeleteAlways too much dust - so much it takes a day to reply to a comment :~
DeletePS - I've tried to get to Suzie's house but can't seem to get there...it shows some kind of error message
DeleteLife certainly isn't simple as we would wish it to be....but, one can most certainly begin to see the larger issues this way. Great read, Jae!!I enjoyed it.......
ReplyDeleteTrue enough Panchali - we may not learn as much if it was one big picnic! Thank you kindly
DeleteWow! this is some picnic... cool and electric and disturbing .. thought provoking fare for the mind!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Uma
Delete