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A Tale of Two Sandals

Grandparents see future kings in small boys,

promise trips to boating lake and forest

worlds away from the flat above shops 

 

Away from bone-dry August air

heavy with discordant dog barking, raised voices,

kids' screams and throaty open-back buses

 

Like the one to Ilford Market which passed

by broken teeth of war-bombed buildings.

Nan bought sandals from a man wearing a turban. 

 

It was oven-hot. Streetwise kids poked sticks

into treacle tarmac. A boy laughed at my accent,

smudged tar on one of my sandals.

 

Later, on a window ledge facing a brick red sunset

brown-black from coats of grandad's shoe polish 

lay the sandals I wished would disappear.

 

 

First published in Reach Poetry, 225, June 2017

◄ A Dog's Life

Comments

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john short

Sat 20th Jul 2019 21:23

Another poem with the characteristic Waring stamp. I love these poems that evoke childhood. Well I write them myself. Thoroughly enjoyable as always. Captivating images I can relate to. Look forward to reading more.

John S

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David Cooke

Tue 22nd Aug 2017 06:15

Very atmospheric and a good choice for Poem of the Week.

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Paul Waring

Sat 19th Aug 2017 09:04

Thank you Col, Tom, Cynthia, Ray and Keith for your comments, I really enjoyed reading them and so pleased you like this one.

Paul

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keith jeffries

Fri 18th Aug 2017 21:29

Paul, I like this series of slightly disjointed cameos of one´s formative years. I was immediately taken back to my childhood and the school summer holidays I spent with my Nan. An evocative poem cleverly using three lines a stanza. Keith

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raypool

Fri 18th Aug 2017 16:30

A really great spread of choices to observe and good amount of humour here Paul. I love the grandiosity of the first line as it evaporates into the real world - bathos. As an aside Ilford was graced with unique trolleybuses which went to South Africa in the sixties. So what, you say and rightly so. It's just that the poem engaged me, so there! I do like the three line technique. I am drawn to that myself. It's nice to see it working so well.

Raymondo. Ayth.......

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Cynthia Buell Thomas

Fri 18th Aug 2017 16:02

A simple tale simply told and simply full of LIFE! Superbly captured. The ending is excellent, bringing to the fore expertly, 'childhood'.

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Tom Harding

Fri 18th Aug 2017 11:18

This is lovely, some really strong imagery here. I can feel the summer heat.

<Deleted User> (13762)

Thu 17th Aug 2017 20:09

lots to like here Paul especially the bone-dry August air and oven hot...treacle tarmac - if only if only if only. I've just about had it with this summer. If it doesn't pick up soon I'm heading back to Wyoming. Col.

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