Peterborough - in cameo, and me at 40

[dcmarti1]

I spent three weeks in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK, in 2004. It is one of the few times in the 8+ year period I have been REALLY happy.

 

The form is syllabic Cameo, at least I hope it is: 2, 5, 8, 3, 8, 7, 2.

 

 

English

windows are opposed

to the ones in America.

The sun drenched

garden room at Butterfly Inn

had such tender panes; I was

afraid.

 

English

desk clerks can be best

understood when you are tipsy,

certainly

when they are from Liverpool. Those

young, hot English waiters are

best straight.

 

I say

that because they ask

you to help them avoid girls they

do not like.

Even if you are gay you can

slip your arm around their waist

to help.

 

English

youth at the dance club

segregate themselves by sexes:

but a girl

half my age came and rubbed herself

against my thigh; the music

had stopped.

 

Dark hair

went well past her broad

shoulders, framing ample bosoms.

She never

told me her name and neither did

I ever ask it: she was

so drunk.

 

English

lads at the dance club

worry about your absence and

ask around,

"Where's the gay American guest?"

They ask this while you are in

the loo.

 

Young, straight

lads who ask questions

and then see you, put their arms on

your shoulders,

and if they are 19 and drunk,

they still smile and dance, knowing

you're gay.

 

I don't

remember his name,

nor do I remember the name

of the club.

I just wish that I had kissed him

(as well as the other 3)

straightly!

 

8 years

of absence and you

are still with me. England, we both

reek and rot

of wretched Empire! But I want

to remember all their names -

to dream.

[Benjamin]

I like this very much. Your subject matter is bright and breezy.. also pleasant to read. I smiled at the mention of Liverpool. The further north one travels in England the more unintelligible the dialects become. I'm partial to the flexibility of syllabic verse formats... having used various longer stanza templates purloined from different poets over the years (shameless).

[dcmarti1]

The tale is all true. The hotel was even called The Butterfly Inn. That 3 week period in Aug/Sep 2004 was a warm and dry spell: only ONE afternoon of light rain. Warwick, Burleigh, Grantham, St. Botolph's, Skegness, Peterborough Cathedral.....And the hotel staff taking a 40 year old out and paying his cover charges.

 

I was hoping no Brit would be offended. And thank you for liking it.

[dedalus]

The English have a soft spot for affable American eccentrics. You wouldn't have got the same reception if you were Scots or Irish or (God help us) Welsh!

[Benjamin]

Point of interest: It was announced this week that Polish is officially the second most spoken language.... "in England... now!"

[dcmarti1]

The English have a soft spot for affable American eccentrics. You wouldn't have got the same reception if you were Scots or Irish or (God help us) Welsh!

 

Sigh: nobody ever remembers the Kernowyon.

[Tinker]

Hi Marti, I enjoyed reading this... The language and the rhythm project your delight in the experience. It is a feel good poem. I like how you converted a verse form to a stanzaic form. Much better use of an easy to work with frame. I hope you don't mind I inserted a link to the verse form.

 

~~Tink

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

i like the form of this. a very smooth soft rhythm and cadence to this poem, which really sells the story well. enjoyed very much so.

 

victor

[dcmarti1]

i like the form of this. a very smooth soft rhythm and cadance to this poem, which really sells the story well. enjoyed very much so.

 

victor

 

Thank you very much, Victor. It was originally in a -more or less- free verse format, but I just did not like its "look". Form really helps me focus. And you are the FIRST person to ever give me credit for cadence. Wow, I appreciate it.

[eclipse]

a deceptive read-excellent

[dcmarti1]

Thanks, eclipse.

[tonyv]

Loved this, Marti, the nostalgia and the way you address the place and compare yourself to it in the last verse. Title's terrific, too.

 

Tony