Monday 30 April 2007

They will say,

"He was quiet,
A bit of a loner.
He kept himself to himself.
We never had any trouble with him.
A devoted son.
A good neighbour".

Then,
From behind picket fences
Bared like rows of white teeth,
And curtains secured with jerks and
Veiled with nets,
Their uncertainties will grow.
From their deckchairs splayed on lawns
Restrained by clipped spruce hedges,
And from magnolia stained rooms
With titanic televisions
That mumble through the night,
Someone will be bound to say:
"He was a bit of an odd fish".

And then teacups will clatter into saucers,
As they recount, around
Mouthfuls of custard creams
(In tabloid detail)
How I painted the door,
Red.



© GB 2007

11 comments:

Rob Kistner said...

Very intriguing Gino! It drew me in with my interpretations in full stride.

I had two scenarios appear dominant for me. One was quirky, one was dark. In the dark, the red was blood.

I enjoyed this piece a great deal.

--and so it goes--
...Rob

Crafty Green Poet said...

Yes there are definitely two stories there - is it a small town community scared by anyone with any individuality, or something much more sinister?

Beaman said...

An ironic look at the workings of suburbia. Neighbourly friction does seem to be on the rise. Well written.

gautami tripathy said...

Perils of our times. Do we really know the real face behind the one we see?

Dave said...

I like the way you leave open the possibility that they will be talking about you! A lot of memorable lines here.

paris parfait said...

Fabulous provocative poem! I agree with Rob - I first thought of the bright cheery red that my desk is painted; then I thought of blood; perhaps he murdered someone or was murdered himself.

Pauline said...

"And then teacups will clatter into saucers,
As they recount, around
Mouthfuls of custard creams"

great descriptive lines!

Mystielily said...

I love it. What more can I say? Just love your poems!

Tom Atkins said...

Adored the last two lines~

Tom

Deb said...

Beautifully crafted lines that build...suspenseful, unnerving, charming. I like that complexity.

Jessica said...

From the second stanza, with the picket fences with rows like white teeth, I was hooked! I also love the "mouthfuls of custard creams." Great portrait!