Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Odd Socks (written for a writing challenge-not great but still a poem i guess)

I remember the first time I visited him here.
His dog ate my sock.
It was purple with white spots,
the sock not the dog.
I remember I thought it was cute.

I kept the odd sock that was left,
washed, dried, and saved, in my drawer.
Hidden there amongst the pairs,
useless, but too nice to throw away.

How fast a year can pass.

Now I hang odd socks on the line, his and mine.
While the dog eats rocks.
I call him in, he runs away. I wish for goblins every day.
It’s not that I’m a devil. I don’t despise the dog.
He’s lovely, when he sleeps.
His whimpering dreams and running legs are sweet and
when he rests his wide black head against my foot,
I cannot help but like him, stroke him, rub his orange belly hair.

But when he wakes he steals each peaceful moment. He chews the atmosphere.
Affection is aggression. He’s a dominator, aggravator. I miss my cat.
I miss the easy bliss of open doors and cups on floors.
I wish for coffee tables, candles glowing in the dark, the absence of the bark,
A silent space, a place for whispers, not one word commands.

But Beauty lives here with the Beast and that I cannot leave.
So I hang odd socks on the line, his and mine.
While the dog eats rocks.

3 comments:

steven.nash82 said...

Agreed, twas a tough one this but I reckon you've pulled it off with this slice of bestial hatred lol.

Nah tis kind of cute actually the love/hate push/pull thing running through.

Love the whole chewin rocks placed against the devouring of socks.


I genuinely love this section:


Now I hang odd socks on the line, his and mine.

While the dog eats rocks.

I call him in, he runs away. I wish for goblins every day.

It’s not that I’m a devil. I don’t despise the dog.

He’s lovely, when he sleeps.

His whimpering dreams and running legs are sweet and

when he rests his wide black head against my foot,

I cannot help but like him, stroke him, rub his orange belly hair.


- altho perhaps we should be stopped - what are the chances that when given a challenge involving odd socks we'd both end up throwin in oblique Bowie references? (I wish for goblins everyday lol). Awww they should so use this as the sequel to Labyrinth - you searching for Jake after making the goblins come get him hahaha.

Is it too soon to whisper Oscar? x

Vampires next you say?

Anonymous said...

This is really different from your usual work but it's still ace.

That poor pooch though he doesn't come off well here.

Favourite line? "I pray for goblins everyday"

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with for vampires.
x

poetrytutor said...

Your work is always very evocative and I enjoyed the recurring fairytale aspect of this poem very much.

But Beauty lives here with the Beast and that I cannot leave.
So I hang odd socks on the line, his and mine.
While the dog eats rocks

This is a lovely stanza and the repetition of the rhyme rocks and socks in here is great. Whod have thought socks and rocks still had an original rhyme left in them?

Great stuff