it began as a secret desire (an itch
in the marrow too vague to get through
to the bone) an idea that never could
make it as flesh – there wasn’t a part of me
sane i could tell that would have spared
it a breath to get started
so i slept
one midday i woke up with a bang – light
was bashing in through the windows
and suddenly out of my pores
sprang this fully-fledged practical paeon
this triumphant brass-note of praise
for a why-hadn’t-i-yelled-it-before
sort of answer to my life’s rubbing-out
of my dreams
i’ll jump from the window
(i sang to myself)
and i’ll fly
and be damned to daft icarus
i crowed
and i flew – or i fled (which is
very much the same grain of word
and it graciously covers the gap
between the experience i had in my head
and the one i met rushing up
from the ground where the glasshouse
splashed around to reflect me
as i passed on my way down to earth
and the squirt of my dad’s best tomatoes
and my mum’s angry mask of a face
that just wasn’t brought up to be fruitful)
so i fled – or i flew – out the gate
up the street till i melted
just like that daft icarus before me
and i thought
well why the sod not
so i jumped in a pond till i cooled
and the blood from a scratch on my hand
turned the green water red but not a
thick peasant came to be in on the wonder
and i had to go home soaking wet
to a tongue that had blisters and a belt
round the head from my dad – but i lived
which is more than daft icarus did
(Rg Gregory)
More Poetry from Rg Gregory:
Rg Gregory Poems based on Topics: Light, Faces, Curiosity, Praise, Experience, Secrets, Idea- shape-poems (1) (Rg Gregory Poem)
- shape poems (2) (Rg Gregory Poem)
- shape-poems (3) (Rg Gregory Poem)
- shape-poems (4) (Rg Gregory Poem)
- shape-poems (5) (Rg Gregory Poem)
- adventure (Rg Gregory Poem)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Light Poems, Faces Poems, Praise Poems, Secrets Poems, Curiosity Poems, Experience Poems, Idea PoemsBased on Keywords: peasant, scratch, bang, marrow, jumped, splashed, midday, tomatoes, cooled, itch, daft