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14.7.21

BACKS

 

BACKS

No-one designs the backs of buildings to be seen

a child with wooden blocks could do better

yet every day 

a million eyes see them from train windows.

Ageing Victorian terraces

trailing listless grey washing,

yards full of junk,

and sagging curtains

revealing glimpses of other people’s lives.

Flat brick rows of suburbia,

double glazed windows looking onto manicured gardens

and a crying child under a climbing frame.

The train goes by so fast, do they know we see them?

Perhaps it doesn’t matter

as long as the eyes that watch a moment of your life

are those of strangers.

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Thanks to J Hardy Carroll for the photo and Rochelle for hosting FF on her blog https://rochellewisoff.com/

Another poem, and again a rewrite of one I wrote earlier - this has been a hectic week. I am in the throes of the final ( I think!) edit of my latest novel, which is a sequel to Helter-Skelter published in 2018. Yes, it's been a long time coming, but my excuse is that I published four other books in the intervening period. They are all, of course, available on Amazon.

My LIVING ROCK series - A Volcanic Race: Wolf Clan: Landslide: Rock Festival.

AND a little book of poems which you can buy by clicking on the image at the top of this page.

35 comments:

  1. We've all been there, thought that. Well captured, Lizy

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  2. Often thought those same thoughts, Lizy. Used to travel to and from London and it was always 'entertaining'.

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    1. Such exposure would bother me, but I guess you'd learn to ignore it.

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  3. We all are watchers; some of us record, so those that didn't see, can know. Lovely poem Liz, sums up many a train journey.

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    1. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.

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  4. How true is this?
    I suppose, like you said, it doesn't matter as long as they eyes watching are doing so briefly from afar...

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    1. But the eyes are multiplied over and over, every day...

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  5. This is profound in so many ways.

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    1. Thank you for reading more than the words, Susan.

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  6. I really enjoyed this. And the end is so true.

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    1. Thank you, Sandra. It seems to have rung a bell with a few people!

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  7. Great philosophy in this piece.

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  8. Beautifully described, Lizy,

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  9. sometimes life passes by too quickly we're unable to appreciate what we're seeing.

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    1. So true, plaridel, we should slow down more.

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  10. So evocative of train journeys everywhere.

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    1. Especially into a city! Thanks, Peter.

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  11. Little glimpses into strangers' lives. That brought to mind film sets, which are beautiful and believable from the front but essentially missing at the back!

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  12. You've described perfectly what we all experience on a suburban train ride!

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  13. This was a profound and beautifully written piece, Liz.

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  14. Good prose, Liz. Have you ever seen the movie, "The Girl on the Train"? It's a thriller about a commuter who starts noticing things at the houses along her route.

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    1. I've heard of the movie but not seen it. Thanks for reading my poem.

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  15. Beautiful poem and very true. And I've been reminded of 'The Girl on the train' as well, which isn't exactly my genre, but the hype made me read it and then I wanted to see it. :)

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    1. Thanks, Terry. I'm going to have to see that film!

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  16. Well said. I enjoyed reading it.

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  17. I have been there too. We catch so many glimpses of different people at different places. Great take, Liz!

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  18. Sorry I'm late, I don't always have access to a computer with which to access Blogger.
    Great poem and full of wisdom and truth.

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