written and posted by members of Lancashire Dead Good Poets' Society

Friday 22 August 2014

Summer

13:51:00 Posted by Louise Barklam , , , No comments
Ah the Summer-time! Lovely weather and fun times, juxtaposed with the school summer holidays creating havoc with working parents timetables and kids saying: "I'm bored!". They've no imagination these days have they?

My favourite seasons have to Spring and Autumn though. I don't like it when the temperature soars, it just laves me feeling hot and bothered and very grumpy.  Even when I used to go on foreign holidays, I would sit in the shade. Hee hee.  And then there's all that flesh on display. I'm no prude, but really?  I've always been a firm believer that you should dress for the body you have and not the body you want or wish you had. See, I get grumpy about Summer!  It's just not for me.

A few months ago, I performed the following poem at our monthly Open Mic. Night.  It is an imagining of being stranded in the height of Summer in an American desert. I hope you enjoy it.


The Thirst:

Burning, blazing orb,
shape shifting.
Dazzling rays reaching,
scorching and searing.
Devoid of moisture
the crazed crust
buckles and splinters.
Armoured plants
cling to life,
storing precious milk.
Red sand-blasted eyes,
lips parched,
swollen tongue,
raw, dusty throat.
Skin burnt,
crisp and peeling.
Distant dancing
draws attention,
the air shimmering
just above the ground.
Dehydrated, shrunken brain
draws optical illusions,
tempting the senses
with the promise of 
cool clear water.
Liquid gold
not to be.


Thanks for reading. ;-) x


P.S. If you have some time on your hands this evening, Sarah L Dixon is hosting an event called "The Quiet Compere Tour 2014 (Stop 8)" in the Churchill Room at The Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool. It takes place from 7.30pm and will feature 10 poets, each with a 10 minute spot. Admission is just £4 on the door for an evening of wonderful poetry from the likes of Lara Clayton, Michelle Hayward, Colin Davies, Joy France, Christopher James Heyworth, Big Charlie Poet, David Riley, Stephen Gunnar Stroud, Laura Alice Nation and Reuben Woolley.  If you have been to any of our Open Mic. Nights in the past, you will recognise a few of those names.  Come and join us.

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