Spin E-Book

Laurie Bolger

• Herausgeber: The Poetry Business
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 22

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

These poems of memory and girlhood are powerful evocations of the changing body and the male gaze. A raw, absurdist humour provides a sense of defiance throughout, and the tone is in turns sad, angry, rue.– Hannah Lowe

Leseprobe

Published 2024 by

Smith|Doorstop Books

The Poetry Business

Campo House,

54 Campo Lane,

Sheffield S1 2EG

Copyright © Laurie Bolger

All Rights Reserved

ISBN 978-1-914914-71-3

Typeset by Utter

Printed by People for Print, Sheffield

Smith|Doorstop Books are a member of Inpress:

www.inpressbooks.co.uk

Distributed by NBN International, 1 Deltic Avenue,

Rooksley, Milton Keynes MK13 8LD

The Poetry Business gratefully acknowledges the support of

Arts Council England.

Contents

Big Drop

like when the bird got stuck in the window of the sweet shop on Oxford Street

Weights

SILVO

Birds

Boxes

Roadside Café

Boxercise

Yoga

Washing

Stars

Scenes Involving a Kitchen Table

After Class

Dandelion

Looking at Mum

Eton Mess

Bike

Mary and John’s Ruby Wedding, the Working Men’s Club

Spin Bike 53

The Things I’ve Tried

Acknowledgements

for Gem

Big Drop

I like to begin my day with 100 cups of coffee

               and I like to end it sitting in a chair with a beer

                                                      or against my big pillows and just sip

and I don’t think it’s the feeling of getting drunk or anything like that

I think it’s that first sip                       it does something

like when you open the cold fridge after a long shift

               kick off your shoes

                              flip the red lid

push the glass circle to your lips

letting it get stuck there as you sup the first fizz and go ahhhhh

I used to watch this kids programme with a postman called Pat

he had this cat called Jess

               and after a hard day he’d twist the lid off of a glass bottle

                                                                                                and just neck it

I’ve always been obsessed with watching men down things

               being called one of the lads but not being allowed at the stag

I remember sitting on the back step listening for them

                                          left in with pink straws and glitter

                                I listened for them chanting

the first time I got properly drunk

a boy carried me to the car like some sort of damsel

      I was light enough to be lifted up like catch of the day

                 once I got so drunk I hit a man’s chest hard with my fists

                                                                               I felt wild

like when the bird got stuck in the window of the sweet shop on Oxford Street

I want to praise the instructor

who like a preacher

               eases our full hearts

says come with me

open yourself up to it

we are an army of little bikes

pedalling into the gym’s clammy air

         one two one

chasing all the things we can’t weigh

                            and want to

she says heavy

says grit

and when we’re finished