22 | August | 2018 | Making it write

You ask me who I am,
this fool whose home-made skin
once glistened
with a million shades
of fake and real, incorporating
all the human I hungered to be
and wished to be envisaged in me;
this fool who
from a distance, glowed,
yet seen up close,
singed the eye.

You ask me who I am;
this woman so deeply seared
by uncertainty.
I can tell you I erred,
and that in erring,
I learned to learn,
crawling toward the cure
as each vain expectation,
each flaking fantasy,
each false pretence
was slaked away,
leaving me both less and more.

You ask me who I am
as I watch my multi-coloured dream-coat
shrink to flickering embers,
surrendered by my own hand
to the questing flames
of questioned truth.

You ask me who I am;
I’ll tell you what I know.
Old flesh shows through the vest
my mother dressed me in
long before I chose
my own showy clothes.
Its creases advertise passion
for laughter,
cheesecake
and peace in every corner.
Now and then my heart
aches from human disgrace
and residual shame.
beyond that,
I’m not yet sure
who I am.

This is my last-minute response to Gina at Singledust, who last week put out a call for bloggers to write a poem to introduce themselves, to be featured at The Godoggocafe.

©Jane Paterson Basil

A three-day lyrical challenge
The Rules:
1 .Thank the person who nominated you.
2 .Share one of your favourite song/lyrics one at a time for three days.
3 .Nominate three other bloggers each day. (or one, one is probably enough)
Day 3: I’m tagging Kate

Thank you again, Ivor – it’s been fun.

Tracy Chapman’s lovely voice sings loud and clear, railing against abuse and poverty. I don’t need to introduce my goosebump-inducing choice; it speaks for itself.

Tracy Chapman: Behind the Wall

Last night I heard the screaming
Loud voices behind the wall
Another sleepless night for me
It won’t do no good to call
The police always come late
If they come at all

And when they arrive
They say, “they can’t interfere
With domestic affairs,
Between a man and his wife.”
And as they walk out the door
The tears well up in her eyes

Last night I heard the screaming
Then a silence that chilled my soul
I prayed that I was dreaming
When I saw the ambulance in the road
And the policeman said,
“I’m here to keep the peace.”
Will the crowd disperse
I think we all could use some sleep”

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Call me greedy if you like, but I’m lightening the tension with a pretty song about air It’s one of the songs I sang to my children when they were small – along with anything else I enjoyed, from Leonard Cohen to Steppenwolf.

The Incredible String Band: Air

Breathing, all creatures are
Brighter then than brightest star
You are by far
You come right inside of me
Close as you can be
You kiss my blood
And my blood kiss me