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This is my blog (now there is a surprise!). I will be sticking in it poetry, prose, random musings, things that take my fancy and more than likely lots of pictures of cats. I hope you find something to amuse and/or interest you here.

Sunday, 24 April 2011

One Stop Sunday Photography Interview: Greg Laychak & Poetry Challenge

Taking the
One Stop Poetry Sunday Challange

Thanks to Greg Laychak for letting us use this thought-provoking picture.


What Do You See?

What do you see before you?
A long bleak corridor, a wheelchair,
Old age bowed and frail
Bound by grey walls and defined by grey hair.

What do you see before you?
A freedom fighter battling away,
Fighting for independence
The battle getting harder every day.

What do you see before you?
A thing to pity, patronise?
Out of place in the modern world,
Just an anachronism in your eyes?

What do you see before you?
The knowledge of the years,
Skills and techniques learned,
A lifetime of old joys, laughter and tears

What do you see before you?
An old woman in a chair?
Do you see a person?
Do you actually see that it’s me?





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13 comments:

  1. Anonymous24 April 2011 at 14:06

    YES!!! I like this thinking!

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  2. dustus24 April 2011 at 14:08

    Wonderful ending! A bit of a surprise to reveal the narration from the subject herself.
    "What do you see before you?
    A thing to pity, patronise?
    Out of place in the modern world,
    Just an anachronism in your eyes?"
    Marvelous lines.

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  3. Beachanny24 April 2011 at 15:18

    Easy to continue for her to be treated as an object, I imagine. She was never free, what did they see, what do they ever see? Well done! Gay

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  4. Helena White24 April 2011 at 16:14

    Penny, I looked after my Mom in our home for 3 years, until I had the heart wrenching decision to move her into palliative care. Amazing write! You have captured the emotion...tears as I remember...

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  5. Penny24 April 2011 at 17:16

    Thanks.
    I've just been hit with some feedback that basically says I have some talent but my writing is miserable, uninspiring and unpublishable. Ouch.
    It's nice to be appreciated somewhere!

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  6. Caroline Gerardo24 April 2011 at 18:55

    Penny whoever gave you that cruel feedback certainly can not think on their own.

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  7. Anonymous24 April 2011 at 19:38

    Hi Penny, this is a lovely write and a very surprising and joyful ending knowing the old lady is writing and still has all her faculties - it's uplifting - ignore the pillock with the negative feedback !

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  8. Penny24 April 2011 at 19:45

    Well, they were judging on a small sample and, thank the Lord, we don't all have the same taste, otherwise it would be a dull old world!

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  9. John (@bookdreamer)24 April 2011 at 20:47

    Nice to see a form poem with a refrain that builds to the punch-line we all need to reflect on

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  10. Reflections25 April 2011 at 02:57

    Absolutely profound! Stunning thoughts led gently by the hand down this dreary hallway.

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  11. Brian Miller25 April 2011 at 04:22

    i see a lot of potential lost and squandered...i think there is much we can learn from out elders...

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  12. Henry Clemmons25 April 2011 at 06:13

    Great words, images, POV, and message. Super job.

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  13. Steve Isaak26 April 2011 at 17:04

    Solid work.

    ReplyDelete

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