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Insignia

In the crime capital of the country

I’m all dressed up like Jimmy Cagney

in a brown pin-striped suit

and black trilby hat

set at a world-weary angle.

 

Vertiginously I seek her out;

my head swims round black beetle gowns,

blazoned epaulettes and edges.

At forty-five quid for afternoon hire

I make uneducated guesses

about assembled subjects.

Antennae touch, shoulders rub,

incoherence intermingles;

then the curtain struggles up

and simmer slowly dwindles.

 

Here comes The Sheriff of Nottingham

preceding Michael Parkinson, 

drawling his way to the podium

in yellow livery and tedium

to joke of football and cricket.

The Sheriff shoulders a spade

which is purely symbolic;

Parkinson quotes an obscure poet.

We paid thirty quid each a ticket.

 

There’s over-representation

of the Chinese population

in the Business and Management section.

I’ve done multicultural studies

and got to know all the names -

now they all look and sound the same.

A posthumous award dispels the monotony;

nobody else wears a hat like me.

I never joined the classless society.

 

Caps are flung to the sound of shots,

colour splashed on corkscrew dots:

insignia mean an awful lot.

She’s stabled in bright livery;

history’s proven no injury

and she wears her mother’s genes.

I never went to university.

I wore two-tone and danced to The Specials:

I’m still living in gangster time.

 

 

◄ Looking After You

Poor Poem ►

Comments

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Laura Taylor

Thu 10th May 2012 14:18

Indeedy Isobel

Mike - that's a massive over-reaction to pointing out a small typo. I point them out all the time. Don't you want to know if you got something wrong? Cos I sure as shit do. And the verse that distracts - well, that's how it affects Ray. Everyone is affected differently. Tbh - that's the biggest response to anyone posting on your poems that I've ever seen you do.

Disable comments if you don't want them. I used to be a bit prickly over critiques but these days I've progressed and actively seek them out.

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Isobel

Thu 10th May 2012 14:04

If I were going to preserve something, I'd stick it in an air tight container. On here, you have the option of disabling comments. If you leave comments enabled, then you are inviting a response from anyone who reads the poem. That response could be positive or negative. It's great when it's a positive - but if not, a lot depends on the tone. Some people post on here to get genuine critique and meaningful feedback - it takes a while to suss out who those people are and some times we all make mistakes.

Comments that are downright abusive will be removed. In fact we all have the power to remove comments from our work. If a poet is only seeking positive feedback, perhaps they should leave a comment to say so...

<Deleted User> (4172)

Thu 10th May 2012 08:59

I post stuff on this site mainly to preserve it and if other people take enjoyment out of it then that's an added bonus. I have no ego problem at all, but i sometimes find it incredible how certain members dissect other people's poems and then critique them in a way that i would find extremely patronizing. No offence taken, i assure you. please feel free to delete this comment after you've read it.

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Ray Miller

Wed 9th May 2012 22:05

Isobel. Yes, and Dad's genes are absolutely useless, too. I like to embarrass my kids as often as possible. After all, they're embarrassing me all the time.

<Deleted User> (4172)

Wed 9th May 2012 18:24

Thanks for pointing out the typo on my latest poem. To be honest after reading this and a few others of yours there are lots of things that I'D cut or do differently. But,sadly i'm not and would never want to be a critic, so i just read the poem and accept it for what it is. Look forward to more of your educating comments. Thanks!

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Isobel

Wed 9th May 2012 16:07

She has some of her dad's genes too then...

I like it. I like all the poetry that relates to your family/ work/ life - I feel I can connect to it better.

I like the way you convey your 'other worldliness'. That's an unusual get up you went it - I'd have picked you to sit next to :)

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Ray Miller

Wed 9th May 2012 15:33

Yep, I think you're right, Steve. Most of, if not all, the 2nd verse should go. It was a Psychology degree and, of course, absolutely useless.

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