Saturday, September 29, 2012

Trust me, I'm telling you stories

The day I found the oyster, I met him. 
The sun was hanging low and golden, in no hurry to leave, when I walked back to town.
After the meal, I walked up to the cathedral for the first time. Behind the cathedral, in the soft darkness, the man, out with his dog,
whispering 
to the fledgling owl fallen from the nest, his mother hooting on the wire overhead,
lifting it onto the wall around the church grounds,
safe.
There had been magic in everything that day. I watched the small creature on the wall for a long time, before 
losing myself again in the steep winding streets,
not knowing where I was headed
nor what I would find
when I got there,








7 comments:

Reading the Signs said...

Yes, I like very much. If a poem please change had been to was.

And please have a word with your robot-police who are determined not to let me in today.

Anna MR said...

Ha – It took me a while to figure out " If a poem please change had been to was", but now I see what you mean. Not a poem – the shape was an accident of nature, as I went to write between the photos, it just did the centering automatically. Me like, right? Then I posted and lo, it lost the centering. Me no like. So today, I went back and fiddled to regain the centering. Hurrah.

But no, not a poem. A story. I can see the call to change had been to was (now that I understand what it means, innit); but had been is more what I mean. There had been magic in everything that day, but I was walking towards something, the magic in my background of the day, and I feel the had been gives more of that sense of moving-onto-something; if I say was, it is more static. There was magic in everything that day – I don't feel movement.

Go figure. But you're prolly right coz you're the Poet here; I'm just a stubborn one who keeps hold of her had beens (not to mention her hasbeens).

Type stuff.

Bad, bad, bad robot police. I'm glad you tricksied your way past them. I shall slap their wrists very seriously for causing you hassle.

x

Reading the Signs said...

No I'm prolly not right, and was just really focussing on the rhythm. Yes it would lose that movement. You win some and lose some. On reflection, I think what I said sounds arsy.

I mostly hate things that are centred, esp if they are poems. But here it feels just right.

Anna MR said...

Arsy or artsy? Coz you know, there's room for both, either, or neither. Especially when they come from you.

Centering is a wank, when it's done on purpose to achieve some Thing or another, is it not? I detest it, it has to be said (and not only because you said you no like). But this time, well, it just happened, and I liked. It happens.

I cannot post daily, not today; too tired and nyaah to do anything of the sort. But maybe I'll post twice tomorrow, what-what – I think that counts, and I can carry the personal shame.

x

Reading the Signs said...

It's ok, you won't turn into a pumpkin if you don't post. At least I think you won't. On the other hand, you actually might. Gawd! Fingers crossed, Schwes! I suppose you'll find out at the stroke of midnight.

that'll learn me said...

Well – now we know.

Reading the Signs said...

It can probably be reversed by putting up another post. Not that you don't look good as a pumpkin - obvs