This is the poem that was short listed for the Paragram Poetry Prize in 2013- I was invited to Covent Garden to read both this and the long listed ‘Hobgoblin Trees’. I’m posting this for dVerse, where we have Kelly behind the bar. Kelly’s asked us about scents that linger, so this poem is, I believe, fitting the criteria.
Latent
Grey, receding,
the fragrance of his shaving gel.
He carries an iPad.
The first thing to leave
is the light of his eyes.
I touch his absence;
a disembodied voice, ‘see you later.’
There are magical contortions
made by dust motes,
they swirl in the sunbeams that
pour through the east window,
and echo, ‘later, later.’
I still feel the tweed jacket,
rough against my fingers,
it lingers with his shadow in the room.
Polly Stretton © 2013
Shortlisted for the Paragram Poetry Prize 2013
30/01/2014 at 06:45
Congratulations Polly 😊
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30/01/2014 at 07:03
Thanks, Andy 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 08:16
Nice one, Polly – let us know how the reading goes!
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30/01/2014 at 20:31
Will do, Marina 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 09:23
Lovely, Polly – it should go down well while you’re selling fruit & veg in Covent Garden market. You deserve this – recognition of a beautiful poem, not flogging apples and pears!
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30/01/2014 at 20:31
heh-heh fruit and veg 😉 glad you like this one, Mike.
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30/01/2014 at 09:42
My heartiest congrats and best wishes for what promises to be a distinguishing oration.
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30/01/2014 at 20:32
Wow! I hope so, Mike 😉
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30/01/2014 at 10:18
lovely –
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30/01/2014 at 20:28
Thank you – and welcome to my blog 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 10:53
Congrats xx
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30/01/2014 at 20:28
Thanks, Al 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 12:56
Congratulations Polly
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30/01/2014 at 20:33
Thanks Wendy – btw, I was with Eloise at CMI today… your name was mentioned 😉
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30/01/2014 at 21:25
Hopefully that’s a good thing! 😀
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30/01/2014 at 21:38
Definitely 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 22:07
That’s lovely
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31/01/2014 at 00:10
🙂
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30/01/2014 at 14:04
Good luck with the reading. I know you’ll wow them!
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30/01/2014 at 20:27
Will do my best 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 16:46
Congratulations! 🙂
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30/01/2014 at 20:06
Beautiful poetry.
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30/01/2014 at 20:27
Thank you – and welcome to my blog 🙂
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01/02/2014 at 17:35
Oh Polly! Beautiful! Congratulations! I could hear your voice reading the words. You are one amazing poet 😉 Best wishes.
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01/02/2014 at 17:44
Thank you – what lovely comments – appreciated 🙂
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02/02/2014 at 07:21
Congratulations Polly…I’m sure the reading will go beautifully, wonderful poem! 🙂
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02/02/2014 at 07:26
Thanks Di – fingers crossed! Just booked the train 🙂
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