By Lydia Unsworth
Location: Moss Lane East, Rusholme
time and tide wait for no man
although there were times i was tied to it
tied to rough faces
and mice running out of clothes
we had outgrown
or ground down into silence
thread-bare
-ing our souls to anyone who would listen
or at least anyone willing to raise the stakes
through our hearts
HGVs shake through kitchens
and mugs rattle in unsteady hands
the walls came down
but it brought us closer together
six in a bed on christmas day
it makes life easier
to only need one bucket
one mop
for all the tears
in bedsheets, lining
faces
itching into unknown pillows
with suspense or suspenders
because that’s what waiting feels like
or it feels like another can of beer
a floor made of recesses and
beached bodies
wailing
without the elegance
required of catalogue poses
which pile up by the door
bearing the names of ex-tenants
and a new kind of evolution
for £238pppm
all inclusive
Lydia Unsworth says: ‘Biog: 27. Girl. Born in Salford. 1982. June in the evening. Studied art. Study maths. Moving to Poland for a while.’ http://gettingoverthemoon.blogspot.com
2 responses so far ↓
1 Belinda Johnston // August 7, 2009 at 2.51pm
Hello,
I really like this poem. The concrete images that you’ve used are so evocative and and strong.
The piece flows very well and you’ve managed to say so much with very few words, and that is good writing.
I particularly like ‘ mice running out of clothes
we had outgrown
or ground down into silence’
and
itching into unknown pillows
with suspense or suspenders
because that’s what waiting feels like
or it feels like another can of beer
It strikes me as a very raw piece, ‘down to the knuckle’ very real.
I also like the ending, it finishes the poem very well, and brings it to a close.
I really enjoyed reading this.
Belinda
2 manu // November 16, 2009 at 11.27pm
Maybe I’m tired, maybe everything is not clear… but it stirs my guts.
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