Donations are essential to keep Write Out Loud going    

Beige

Once I was of an age

When everything was black or white

When everything and everyone had possibilities

A time when I had not allowed myself

To be screwed or nailed down

By the deception that which all we do

Is set up to make a gain

Where all the fire in my eyes

In my belly never went out

But just changed direction

Where the focus was to grab

To have and to hold

To accumulate and achieve

And black and white became beige

In a cheap chipboard covered world

Pushing, shoving

Free thinking out of the window

Down the street and round the corner

Out of sight

Out of reach

And all the world was beige

 

It was a place where the stifling, coughing

Choking retching heat

Never quite became too much

Because the colour

Was always beige

And the clock beat on

And I was trained and blinkered

Answering the programme

To want and to crave

All that wasn’t mine

All that wasn’t me

Because all the world was beige

 

How long would it take?

How many times would I trip and fall?

Before

I realised that the black or the white was not beige

But many colours in between

And all the possibilities would return

Where intensity

Was replaced with exciting inconsistency

And the smooth and the shine

Of the chrome and the glass

Could not outstrip

All that was me

All that was mine

Because the deposit that had been made

All those years ago

Had not yet been spent

And none of it was beige

Nor black or white

Just a stunning uncertain shade of grey

 

◄ You and I

Drowned ►

Comments

Lan

Sun 31st Jan 2016 11:26

I missed seeing this one when you posted it, I really enjoyed this, and can relate. My favourite part is the second verse, the idea of being programmed to want & be what we're not, is just so well said x

Profile image

Martin Elder

Wed 27th Jan 2016 17:34

Thanks for your comments guys, very much appreciated. You are partly right Laura about the age reference. Although it just poured out of me so to speak, I realised that it is me in a reflective mood from where I have come from to where am now. I also have a tendency to be a bit on the melancholic side at times.
Thanks again
M

Profile image

Laura Taylor

Tue 26th Jan 2016 14:51

I really like the flow of energy in this, it weaves, ebbs and flows again. It feels like it could be about ageing, or depression, or possibly both, as they go so well together it seems.

Profile image

Stu Buck

Tue 26th Jan 2016 10:29

great stuff martin. using colours as a vehicle for the changing landscape of life works very well, as does the floydian flow of the piece in general. its an eternal subject but you have made it fresh. nice!

Profile image

Vicki Ayers

Tue 26th Jan 2016 01:52

Yes to look back & realise nothing is ever as we perceive it to be (or at lest that's how I've read it!) I like it - grey can seem a very boring colour but I like how you've given it life with the last line. x

If you wish to post a comment you must login.

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Find out more Hide this message