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The First Time

March 2013

#050

 

The Mortician

This is a story
About a post mortem
I should have attended
When I was a youngster
Studying the functions
Of local authorities.

There was a reason
Why I couldn’t go
To witness the butchery
Done at the mortuary,
So somebody else
Went in my stead,
Unafraid of the dead.

He thought it a rave
To see a cadaver,
Examined to find
If it died of a fever,
Prepared for the grave.

But he wasn’t so brave,
For my proxy was sick
All over the floor
When the knife was applied,
Even though there’s no bleeding
When people have died
And their bodies are cut.

He ran out of the door
And swore that he’d never
Go back any more.

Andrew Diamond
Goodmayes Writers

 

The First Time I Died

The first time I died -
I’d tried - … I’d really tried
To live a good, honest - and ordinary life...
Cause no hurt… no pain … or strife.

The first time that I died -
I’d lived a long and solitary life…
Full of grave ambition
With a pillow for a wife.

The first time I died -
It did feel quite peculiar
Feeling not quite right:
And really, quite ethereal.

So embarking on my second life - I hope for extra- ordinary
To live life to the full and make my dreams reality.

Ellen Reardon

 

The First Time I Killed a Man

The first time I killed a man
The gun froze -

As if stapled to my hand.
We stood shoulder to shoulder
Staring eye to eye.
We blinked - then blinked again.
And uttered not a sound.

He clutched the fatal entry wound…
And sank towards the ground.
I stooped - transfixed and empty.
Watched the colour fade from him…
His life blood drained away.

I swallowed as he gasped his last …
I turned and walked away.
I fought for my country
But forever rue the day
My heart beat continued.

And I took a fellow’s life
Away.

Ellen Reardon

 

The First Time (Baby)

The first time
I held my baby
No words could express
The extra special quality
Of the first, tender caress.
A heart that beat within me
Now beside my beating heart
A connection deep - so special
No event could tear apart.
The perfect tiny fingers
So precious in my hand
Took my life upon a journey -
An unknown wonderland.

Ellen Reardon

 

La Primera Vez / First Time:
Raimunda 99 cumpleaños & earth day

Como una flor a un canto moro
Y que la luz que visite de alma a tu campo
Y a tu mar
Sigue estos cuentos a nuestra historia
A la madre Raimunda en la sonrisa y celebrando
Tu cumpleaños de 99 años
En este grande planeta
Hojas rojas y un amor sincero
Con la voz de Rita Montañez
Amor mío madre del sol

Like a flower in a Moorish chant
The sunlight address as dawn
In your countryside and the sea
According to the short stories of our history
Mother Raimunda with your smiles
And your celebration of your 99th earth day
With this great planet
Red leaves with a sincere love
With the voice of Rita Montañez
Mother of the Sun

© Carlos Raúl Dufflar 3/15/13
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective

 

The Laughing Policeman

I drove onto the roundabout
And went the wrong way round,
Going very slowly.
I nosed up to the Police Car
And we both got out.
My daughter was my passenger
Who thought it very funny.
I grovelled to the Officer
Admitting my mistake,
But said, in mitigation,
That I didn't know the area.
Surprisingly, he laughed
And said, "That's all right sir.
Sometimes these things happen."
Then he stopped the traffic
While I turned my car around
And he sent me on my way.
Such a lovely man.
Not like the b******
Who did me in Wanstead.

Andrew Diamond
Goodmayes Writers

 

First Time

It was the first time I had picked up that diary in 29 years. I’d deliberately shoved it at the back of the cupboard so that I wouldn’t read it and here it was in my hands.

I was clearing the cupboards out to replace the kitchen units and had forgotten it was there behind the cookery books. Her cookery books! The ones I seldom read, but couldn’t bring myself to throw away.

I tried not to open it but curiosity and a sense of longing demanded that I did and I went straight to June, that fateful month that changed all our lives for ever.

Each day was detailed with visits to hospital, clinics, shops and a list of jobs I was given to do. Each day! Almost hour by hour until the 15th. Then it read .SHE’S FOUND PEACE AT LAST. That’s all and nothing except appointments for the rest of the year.

She had found peace, but I hadn’t and nearly 30 years on I’m still searching for it.

Oh not peace of mind or conscience, just a reason why we are selected to live or die and I truly believe we are selected by some higher being or entity.

Perhaps I’ll find out for the first time when it is my turn!

By Jim White 07/03/2013

 

The Dynasty

A dynasty shall spring from me,
An imminent grandfather.
With nappies, talc and changing mats
And all of that palaver.

My daughter is ecstatic
And my wife’s over the moon.
But as for me I’m elderly;
It’s come a bit too soon.

I’m going to buy a rocking horse
To please the little mite
And I may have a go on it
When no one is in sight.

I’m sure there will be others,
It’s going to cost me plenty.
Oh well, I may not be around
When this one reaches twenty.

I know I’ll do my best to
Help them get a decent start
And I’ll just be their grandpa;
Love them all with all my heart.

Andrew Diamond
Goodmayes Writers

 

Close Shave

When I was fourteen I went out
And visited a chemist’s shop.
I bought myself a razor
Because I knew I was growing up.
And then, as I was walking home,
I met a girl I knew from school.
I proudly showed her what I bought
To prove I had a manly tool.
She said, “You best put that away
‘Cause you may need to shave one day!”

Andrew Diamond
Goodmayes Writers

 

The First Time

The first time on the train.
It was a long ride,
early spring time
and meadows full
of yellow primroses.
First time on the plane
and didn't have a seat
by the window.
Today I sleep,
so I don't care.
Let others have
their first time.
First time
in heavy traffic
bypassing Washington, D.C.
Dry mouth
and butterflies
in the stomach.
Perhaps,
you would like to hear
about the first date.
Spare me embarassement.
They are still
many "First times".
Each day is a new day.
Everyday I meet
somebody the first time -
and it is a small town

Marie Neumann
POW!

 

The Great Maritime Race

The denizens of the deep
One day had a meet
At the octopuses garden
Down the Main Street

A race committee was formed
The sea slugs were forlorn
They were so slow
They wouldn't get a fair go

The krill would all be beaten
A tasty morsel to be eaten
A hungry whale in one gulp
Before the race begun

So King Neptune would officiate.
Took his place at the starting gate
To ensure there is no cheating
Used his trident for a fairer race

A clown fish would take the tote
So he got out his crayon and wrote
One hundred white bait to one
If  a  seahorse will win the race

The bar was open at high tide
With a Bar B Que on the side
Dog an cat fishes were in mortal combat
In one gobble, a shark stopped the squabble

A few damsel and angel fish schools
Adorned with strings of pearls
The most graceful you have ever seen
And Queen fishes became might-have-beens

A pistolshrimp, the loudest on the planet,
The shrimp snapped a 4000c bubble
Was chosen to start the race
'twas the grandest race in fantasy land.

It was a field of twenty at the starting gate
A mackerel and a barracuda  
Represented the Pelagic
For they were the fastest of the fast

A couple of doubtful starters
A muddy and a blue swimmer
Went into the barrier sideways
And not considered a threat

And there was one a hippocampus
Looked so slow and graceful
The fastest of their 54 species
The seahorse  chosen was unbeaten

The great white shark  was disqualified
He was too fat to enter the barrier
So he ate a couple of low-carb  jelly fish
and put a bet on a Spanish mackerel

The king fishes were designated
To be the race stewards
A squid opened the gates
With a nod of Neptune's trident

A pistol crab snapped its claw
A heat bubble at 4000 c was heard
Go there  racing, cried the announcer
As The gates flew open

A dart fish was the first to jump
A mackerel soon overtook
Was winning by a stretch
Of jettison'd elastic

A big bellied whale swamped the cause
And only the amphibians had a chance
Soldier crabs by the thousand took the lead
But along came a docile seahorse

The docile seahorse noticed a hungry crab
Catching up with claws intent to kill
Mandibles and  maxillae were drooling in hunger
The little seahorse pectoral fins were paddling

The hungry crab was catching up
The seahorse simply couldn't swim fast enough
So around the next corner he darted into seaweed
It was such grand camouflage and not noticed

When safe he left his hide-a-way
Suddenly a surge of  tsunami  strength
Swept the little seahorse
Right past the race's finish line.

King  Neptune had noticed the struggle
With the very hungry muddy
So His Majesty declared the race over
And positioned the seahorse as the winner

His Majesty crowned the winner
With a crown of thorns starfish
Upon his head -the crowd  roared though
Nobody had bet on the little seahorse

The clown fish who made the tote became
The winner and kept all other bets of the race
The angels and damsels danced the rest of the night
And the little seahorse proudly wore his winning crown

By Bob Perry

 

Island Of Dreams

At last dawn is breaking as I spy a chink of light through the curtains.  I am so excited I have been unable to sleep the butterflies in my stomach are having a real battle. This morning I am to take my first flight to the island of Menorca.

I look outside it’s a cold February morning putting on the kettle for my first cup of tea don’t think I could face eating breakfast.

One hour to go before I leave home, keep checking passport tickets money.

The taxi arrives first we will go to collect my parents and then of to the airport. I can see the excitement in my parents faces they have flown before and I can see the pleasure they are feeling for me. What busy places these airports are people going here there and everywhere, we go to the check in gate the nerves are really kicking in no turning back now. It seems an eternity before we are called to board. We take our seats, the engines are roaring speeding down the runway I don’t know whether to look out of the window or shut my eyes as we left the ground I felt like I was glued to the seat. At last we are in the air I was actually starting to enjoy it stewardesses coming round offering us drinks followed by food. As we prepared for landing I was starting to look forward to seeing where we were going, I had noticed during the flight how blue the sky was and the clouds like fluffy cotton wool.

As we stepped of the plane the one thing I will never forgot was the warmth that hit me and a beautiful aroma of flowers like you get when you walk into a heated greenhouse. I could not believe that just two hours ago we had left a very cold damp foggy morning in England. When we reached the hotel all I wanted to do was run down to the sea, the sands where golden and the water was so clear I could see right down to the bottom. Everything was so different and I spent a glorious week exploring this wonderful island. I have since returned on two occasions and I don’t think it will be my last but I will never forget the first time. We have special occasions through our life but very few are really memorable.

Pauline Faulkner
GROW

 

The First Time
(Espinela)

Four booted feet kick autumn leaves
Two hands tucked into each other
Sun breaks through unbroken cover
Alighting lovers, thick as thieves.

Around her waist, his arm he weaves
His kiss as hot as summer fire
Her passion eager and entire
He pulled her to the cushioned floor
His body craving so much more
As two they loved and crossed the wire.

Jan Hedger
GROW