They have to go somewhere,
these items of furniture;
you rely on gut feeling
and a little skill.

In the main, black
is the colour of choice,
a twist of squiggles
cast into space

lined up like crazy soldiers
on a white parade ground,
individuals I have known
since dumb childhood.

Now their lives have meaning
but, if you have to ask,
you’ve probably missed the point
and the battle is lost.

4 responses

  1. sorry Martin – but without Chris’ comment I would have been out in no man’s land – I’m not sure why it is “dumb childhood” – did you learn to write before you could speak? or were you meaning metaphorically dumb? And I didn’t get the title either. But then again I don’t know what a “meta poem” is – so off to find out … thanks for broadening my horizons you two.

  2. Sarah – the poem is about poetry, hence the title. It refers to letters/words (the squiggles) that we meet early on even before we can speak. I might have used too many metaphors!

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