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BUYING A CARPET

"Take a look around, I won't pester you"

said the carpet salesman, so we looked at 

the pillars of skyward carpet rolled,

onlookers in a forest of compressed comfort. 

 

We changed our mind as to colour

saw a pattern we liked,

took a seat

made a deal

agreed on Friday for delivery

all cut and dried.

 

His radio played Telstar

first ever british number one in America he said

I followed up about melody being the thing

he wanted to talk. 

 

Compulsively,

it all poured out

how one daughter spent time on her nails

the other a DIY expert

showed us on his phone her building a wall.

 

He loved growing vegetables

thought it important to be self - sufficient,

his neighbour had taught him

all the gardening tricks

and then he passed away. 

 

I said a set of good tools was all you needed

in life, we crested waves of enthusiasm

my wife brought him back to the task in hand

said we needed to go shopping.

 

Initially I had thought him brusque, offhand

but really he was just Jack the Lad

with soft spots and his carpets against the wall

in a warehouse full of experience

and glad to talk,

when business was slack. 

 

◄ MUSIC POEM

THE VIADUCT ►

Comments

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raypool

Tue 26th Sep 2017 19:12

LIke the puns etc Col. Massive difference in meanings goes to show how variable our language can be. This only happened the other day!

Thanks Hannah. I get talking so easily to people that my days are always full of chat!

Mark, it is so important we keep up human interaction - I see supermarkets are beginning to phase out tills in favour of self checkouts. One more link closing off. Thanks folks for the likes too.

Ray

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M.C. Newberry

Tue 26th Sep 2017 16:22

I've still got my 45rpm disc of Telstar!
This is a parallel universe of the soaps on TV. Trivia
taken seriously because it can matter for the way we
measure and value our connection with others in this
funny old life.
Recently, I bought a used car and the salesman and I
found ourselves talking about everything but the car!
But he made a sale and I left with a smile from common
interests visited in the process.

<Deleted User> (18118)

Sun 24th Sep 2017 16:09

It's great when people open up and tell you about themselves. I love all the detail.

Thank you for your comment on my poem Shadows, really appreciated.

<Deleted User> (13762)

Sun 24th Sep 2017 08:40

from carpet bombing to carpet selling - I can see a thread here. Thoughtful as ever Ray and certainly suitable for Sunday morning. Have a peaceful day good sir. Col.

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