It Was Unusual To See...

October 2009

#009

 

The Hanalooloo Cat Of Barcelona

It was unusual to see what before made me boil,
like the boundaries of my birth- sweet American soil.

Dispatched from my cradle that couldn't quite rock,
assigned to Europe where the Catalans talk .

In the caverns of side streets I used to dwell,
by the spray- painted garages to dead to tell.

It was unusual to see the homeless woman with
her honalooloo cat,who sat with her faithfully on a cardboard mat.
Together, they frequented the tourist area trap.

The cat wore a flower necklace hoping to attract cash.
Yet nothing was thrown to them but cigarettes and trash.

It was unusual to see these suppressed thoughts.
Once daily visions, are now like past moths.

The unusual memories-you'll always know.
Those things you see-thanks Barcelona!

(c) Nicole Marie Killian
(POW member from Pottsville, PA, USA.)

 

It Was Unusual To See...

It began with a wobble
When we sat on the loo
We thought all we needed
Was to tighten the screw

We peeled back the lino
And discovered a leak
The floorboards quite rotten
I let out a squeak

The toilet was balanced
on nought but thin air
We were in great danger
Each time we sat there

I rang the repair line
We reported the leak
And the hole in the floor
To be told "wait one week"

How I pleaded in vain
With the voice on the phone
To make it more urgent
But her heart was of stone

We waited a week
For repairers to come
But alas when they came
The job couldn't be done

They had not the tools
Or the bits that they needed
"But it is so dangerous"
I once again pleaded.

I showed them a damp patch
That had just appeared
Under the bath pipes
"That's nothing," they sneered

Then they departed
Saying we should 'take care'
And 'hover above it'
Each time we were there.

Then late that same night
Came a terrible crash
All the power went off
With one final flash

We stumbled around
Looking for matches
To light up the candles
And help find the torches

We anxiously peered
Round the bathroom door
Expecting to find
The loo through the floor

To our great surprise
The bathroom looked fine
The toilet still there
Of damage no sign

So downstairs we tiptoed
With candles held high
To see what had happened
Beth gave a great cry

"Look in the kitchen, Mum
Everything's wet
And the ceiling is down
Oh what a mess!"

I called once again
An electrician came over
Checked out the wiring
Restored all the power

I called one last time
And threatened to sue
After three long weeks
It was all I could do...

Then came the Surveyor
A jolly wee chap
Dressed in a grey suit
and jaunty peaked cap

I hear you're in trouble
he boomed through the door
Now let's have a look
At this hole in your floor

I led him upstairs
And opened the door
To show him the places
Where boards were no more

I showed him the leak
Still trickling down
"This should have been done"
He said, with a frown

I showed him the kitchen
"Oh Heaven's" he said,
"If you'd been stood here
you'd surely be dead!

This is most urgent
They must come right now
We will put this right
I give you my vow!"

And that's where he left us
A fortnight ago
Still waiting for fixers
To put in a show

(c) Ashley Jordan
GROW

 

It Was Unusual To See...

It was unusual to see Rory stumped -
this I think amazing as I am in a recovery
process with a young man with the same
name as my youngest son.

This name I have not come across as
often as the Johns, Toms, or Peters
of this world, but I love it. It originated from
Ireland although that is not the reason we chose it.

My son has matured into a strong
moralistic individual,
this has especially
shone through during recent times of
great adversity, where he was concerned
about his wife and little girl above all.

I feel that this is one of my greatest
Achievements,
to give him independence to
walk his own path.

I know for today, as I keep it in the
day, he is proud of a sober mother. Even
though we do not live in each others pockets as
he lives with his family abroad.

(c) Maureen

 

It Was Unusual To See...

It was unusual to see a snake. No doubt I have told everyone who would listen, but two weekends ago, I saw a snake. I was walking down by the river, looking for a quiet place to sit and reflect when all of a sudden I saw a snake slither past my feet. I have not seen one in this country since I was about five years old. I was gobsmacked. Afterwards, I sat down to meditate then practice some Wing Chun. As I was doing the first part of the form a Kingfisher perched itself on a branch not ten feet from me. Again, I was absolutely amazed. It was fluorescent in its colours. I believe that when animals know you respect them and will not hurt them they allow you to be close to them and their fear diminishes. Just like the time a young fox allowed me to walk within four feet of him. He was not scared. He seemed a little puzzled though. It may sound a little mad but I one hundred per cent believe I communicated with him on a deep level that transcends the species barrier. Like we understood each other. I'm writing as if these things are unusual, but they happen quite a lot to me. A deer walking down my road on a suburban estate. Or a shoal of ten huge carp I spotted in the river recently. I feel blessed to have seen these things. I feel at peace, almost humbled to have these experiences. They are so profound. They are worth more than money. I don't believe in God in a conventional sense but this, to me, is the closest I can get. It's through nature that I feel part of existence. It's what moves me to feel alive. That we are all interconnected.

(c) Rory

 

It Was Unusual To See...

It was unusual to see
that people could not see the fear in me.
I would smile and nod and be very nice
maybe say thank you once maybe twice.
But really in my head I was scared as a mouse
sitting alone in this big scary house.
If only you could see what was going on in my mind
all the things I was trying not to find.
Trying to be brave
with things that could easily take me to my grave.
It was unusual that people could not see
the fear in me.
Was it me being me
or them choosing not to see!

(c) Tracey

 

The House Next Door

It was unusual to see the garden next door had suddenly sprouted tall golden sunflowers, for years it had been what you could only describe as a dump, students had rented the house and wrecked it with their parties.

You could hear the footsteps running up and down the stairs, treading on bare floorboards, rubbish had piled up in the street and what had once been a garden.

When we first moved in, a family had lived in the house who took pride in the garden, then another family followed who bred pidgeons, they built a pidgeon shed and slowly the garden gave way to pidgeons and a dog.

You could see the decay and the rot building up under the debris left behind by the birds, then the house was sold once again, and the students moved in to pile more debris in the back, wild buddlea grew through the walls and trees grew like a hedge to hide any sun getting through.

Suddenly, the new students started to lay grass, a barbeque appeared then a table and chairs, the noisy parties still kept on keeping me awake at night, I would protest and they would apologise.
But this morning looking over my wall were golden sunflowers? the tree and the buddlea had gone, I could now see the sun peeping through, I smiled at the students, enquired about the sudden show of flowers.

A packet of seeds from "Sainsbury" they informed me had transformed this dump into a garden, for a short while the sun would shine until the next lot of students moved in.

(c) Sally Flood

 

Autumn Magic

It was unusual to see
fairies looking at me
as I walked through the woods
to the magic tree.

Conkers and chestnuts
covered the ground
and golden leaves tumbled
a merry-go-round.

The magic tree sang
words of wisdom, deep and true
as all the love
I have for you.

The dogs chased squirrels
the children climbed
catching the wind
and the sun entwined

in being here now
wild and free
as the fairies, I'd thought
unusual to see.

(c) Lucia Birch
Stevenage Survivors

 

It Was Unusual To See...

It was unusual to see
the eight legged creature and all its kin
Yellow with purple spots it rushed on by,
chasing forever that elusive fly
Its kin looked on and shook their heads
Tutted loudly and someone said
"he's chased that fly both day and night"
"He's not going to catch it try as he might"
The skates he tried, as fast as they were
They didn't make him fly
A spring to leap with what a brilliant idea
Until he realised that he couldn't steer
So sat him down for night and day
To think the answer to catch his prey
He thought and thought then thought some more
He thought so much that his brains were sore
When upon the minute the answer did come
He pen and inked adding up the sum
He wove a rope from silken thread
And lassoed it round and round his head
Taking aim right up high
He let it go and captured that fly

(c) Sarah Smith - 1 October 2009
Stevenage Survivors