is he

by Martin Elder

Monday 8th January 2018 8:58 am (first posted Sunday 7th January 2018 5:12 pm)

The smooth ice red light

Flicks on

Flicks off

Flicks on

Flicks off

And yet the light isn’t red

But white

The red is a moving

Fine dark line

Of crimson paint

Trailing down a temple

A brow a cheek

Running round to a protruding chin

Dripping down a creased and dirty shirt

Some hangs to the five o’clock shadow

Except it’s not five

It’s nine

And the crowd gathers to see

Their breaths in the cold cruel night air

Speak as one

In the combined flashing blue red and white

Of emergency vehicles

A fairground attraction

With no rides

And no one to take the money

The music of sirens and people shouting

Goes round and round in their heads

And people ask

He’s not stirring is he…?

Comments

Martin Elder

Thu 11th Jan 2018 19:41

Thanks Ray much appreciated. I have tried to capture just a snippet of peoples attitudes to witnessing the aftermath of what goes on after an accident or fatality.
Cheers mate
Martin

raypool

Wed 10th Jan 2018 20:23

Lovely writing Martin. Almost like an incantation and in a sort of journalistic flow that keeps filling more detail in as it goes by. A really good poem for me.

Ray

Martin Elder

Tue 9th Jan 2018 18:05

Thanks Colin and Stu for reading and Desmond for liking

Now there's a thought Colin perhaps I could make a video with no speech just the cards as with Mr Dylan. Wish I had half of his talent. The whole thing with being a fairground attraction is that when ever there is an accident or incident it seems to feed into the voyeuristic nature of some people

Thanks for your encouragement Stu. I would rather like to break into a few more pieces along these lines. So who knows maybe.
Look forward to catching up face to face this year

Thanks again
Martin

Stu Buck

Tue 9th Jan 2018 13:51

great piece martin. you do nostalgia and portraits of history so well, but i do love when you let it all go somewhat and your imagination takes the pen. ends on a cracking line as well. i loved this. as colin said, it reveals itself more and more on repeated readings. hope your well, one of my new years resolutions (alongside learning the saxophone and being nice) is to get out more to poetry gigs like i was doing in 2016, so hope to see you around and about.

<Deleted User> (13762)

Mon 8th Jan 2018 20:16

this poem gives up a little more with each read and the fairground mention adds another dimension. Great stuff Martin and I like the profile pic too. Make up a few more of those signs and you could do a take on Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues! Still the best music vid ever made imo. Col.

Martin Elder

Mon 8th Jan 2018 17:16

Thanks to Pat Andy and John in commenting. and thanks to Nigel for liking.

I am glad you picked up on the undercurrent on this one Pat. I often feel that people treat such events as attractions when others are hurt or even die.

Martin Elder

Mon 8th Jan 2018 08:56

Thanks John. Changed it now