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Setting fire to a hundred and one things of love

Sunday 21st November 2010 1:31 pm

Its been in the cupboard long enough
Been in the shoebox shoved at the back of the shelf
Formica
Hundred and one items of love
Confetti
Hundreds and thousands
Like alphabet spaghetti I’m all mixed up
My heart still holds words of love
But your gone
So no point writing
Or holding on anymore
Time to scatter this history upon the floor
And sort it all out
Let it all go
Some photographs are face down
Birthday cards embalmed with lipstick pouts
Lines underlined with dayglo
Biro kisses and heart shapes
This Athena arrangement anamorphosised
The closest thing to recreating you
What do you do with a hundred and one items of love?
Except charity.
I shall make mercy for cuddly toys, take them to charity
I have not the heart for fire
I wish no Joan of arc, hurt will make no liar of me
But the hearts and the cardboard
Cannot find another home
Nor hire another heart to hang
So I build a garden pyre
A love mountain of paper, photographs
Bus tickets, cinema stub’s
Perfume bottles and the vapour rubs of love
Goodbye and welcome the new
Once removed it awaits to proved
If another door will open
I sit and watch this fiery farewell
I can see your sincerity curling
The photographs are alive like bi metallic strips
They curve and curl
I cannot decide if they dance in pain or pleasure
It is like they are rolling over
I cannot hear any screams
But the flames change colour on chemicals
Red at first and then to blue
teasing the spectrum the way you used to do
With all your colours you had the monopoly on beauty
And with your words, I saw a glimpse of glitter and a heart
You had stencilled
I loved your attention to detail

Love lost

◄ an inch closer

real men have body hair ►

Comments

<Deleted User> (9299)

Tue 19th Apr 2011 13:29

I liked it - and I have certainly been there - I would have split up the piece, that's just a personal thought and does not detract from this intriguing piece of writing.

Somewhere at the back of the cupboard I still have the wedding album from the ex, what to do with it?

I think there was a 'your' instead of 'you're' but I really liked this, there is a lot in here.

James

clarissa mckone

Sun 5th Dec 2010 02:44

you put it all so well,Im different then u and many others I guess, I keep things, still have the letters from ex husband begging me to come back, and love letters. I used to save emails to. great write, very helpful to write like this, even if u burn nothing.

clarissa mckone

Sun 5th Dec 2010 02:44

clarissa mckone

Sun 5th Dec 2010 02:44

Pete Crompton

Mon 22nd Nov 2010 12:15

(bi-metallic strip) = thermostat. 2 pieces of metal with different properties, when heated expand at different rates causing the metal to bend, which then opens or closes the electrical contact. All houses with some form of electrically controlled heating will have one.

winston plowes

Mon 22nd Nov 2010 11:18

The range and choice of 'items' and memories you pick out here is so vivid Peter. good job. hope to see you soon. Win x

Gus Jonsson

Mon 22nd Nov 2010 11:10

Oh Peter...

The imagery and eradication of loves past by fire made me tremble.Were I to follow suit... the plume of fire would be seen on Google Earth... and close several airports for weeks....

What a superb piece... just loved the pants off it!!Well doneLook forward to meeting up with you soon, give me a ring.

Gus x

Marianne Louise Daniels

Mon 22nd Nov 2010 09:05

I agree with Ann's sentiments, you go further into rather than violently look for a desperate escape as in Plath's "Burning the letters". Both I like. Very touching. well done.

and thanks for your comment..hee hee!

Andy N

Mon 22nd Nov 2010 08:31

good stuff, pete.. nice to see you posting again! enjoyed this as always - i particularly liked the change of pace in the last line too

Dave Bradley

Mon 22nd Nov 2010 00:06

Lots to praise in this and should perform well. I particularly liked the ending in which the lost lover's attention to detail is only brought into focus by your own attention to detail. A nice touch that works well on the page, and would also finish a performance effectively

Ann Foxglove

Sun 21st Nov 2010 19:47

I liked this too Pete. It seemed like at the very end, when all was burning and it was too late, the lost lover took life again. There she was! I loved the last, almost throwaway, line. I'd love to hear you perform this.

Isobel

Sun 21st Nov 2010 18:19

Yes - I like the line Janet liked, in particular - the idea that someone can be encapsulated in a smell of a perfume bottle. I like the way you manage to also express the missed eroticism of that person - very your style.
I liked the description of the photos curling up also.
Good to see you back posting! x

<Deleted User> (7164)

Sun 21st Nov 2010 14:27

Perfume bottles and the vapour rubs of love and all the way through to the end are my fave bits - super lines Pete.

Great to see you posting again.
x

Francine

Sun 21st Nov 2010 14:10

As always, beautifully expressed, sad, and true.
At least your heart still holds words of love...

'Goodbye and welcome the new'...
xxxxx

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