Wednesday 8 October 2014

Poem: Left Unsaid

Now we are no longer
any trouble to each other

I can fill my mind, with the infinite list
of all the things that we did, and the important

things we missed.
For instance:

We did all the parties, all night felt the rush
in the air, we felt the feelings, but did I blush

at the sound of your name from my lips?
Or did I let it slip by

Silently
between sips.

And we walked in the rain at 7a.m.
the drugs worn off - a house of strangers again.

But I didn't take your picture as the light came through,
and only managed the memory for a day or two.

And we met everyday for two weeks
at half past 11 before work, on Castle Street,

and every time - always late, you hopped
round the corner

I had sickening butterfly's
as I waited before you.

And not once did I cry.
And I never described

my hearts unrest,
and although I had the words, I never confessed

to you where it hurt, and how much it hurt
at its worst.

And I said mean things and never meant them,
but also sweet nothings anyone could have mentioned,

because I was too busy laughing at our jokes
to provoke

any feelings that might lead to us actually speaking,
or, God forbid, disagreeing.

So now at the end, all the things left unsaid:
about the heart, where it hurts, and whatever lays ahead.

..........................................................................................

I thought I'd try and write a poem in rhyming couplets because I've been reading a lot of Geoffrey Chaucer recently and became a little obsessed with the form.
However, I did not appreciate how difficult it would be. The rhyming itself wasn't too hard because pretty much every poem I write has rhyming it. However, it was deviating from irregular rhyme to couplets that I found challenging. It's safe to say that I didn't really succeed in keeping to a strict structure, and it pretty much became like any of my other poems but in neat little lines. I'm not really sure if I have the patience to try again. Structure sucks.
I normally wouldn't have posted an 'experiment' like this one, but despite not liking the structure, I don't mind the poem itself. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I've been busy with Uni, and people on Tumblr thought I had died, so I thought I better post something!



2 comments:

  1. I saw your 'going away stand up extravaganza' at the Portland Arms before you left - it was so funny, Josh and I will miss you doing the rounds in Cambridge! I hope you have fun at univeristy!
    Beautiful poem, how can someone so happy (who tells jokes about swan baptisms) write such moving poetry? It's beyond me. X

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    1. Thanks Sal! I'll miss Cambridge:'( especially the Portland! And as for the poetry, I think it might be improved by a swan baptism gag every now and then ;)

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