A Staffordshire Poem A Week #15: The 101 (Stone – Hanley)
Posted on January 9, 2017 by staffordshirepoetIn conjunction with Staffordshire County Council, current poet laureate, Bert Flitcroft has started a Staffordshire poetry collection. The idea is to help create a cultural identity for Staffordshire by creating a picture of the county in words and art. The poems come from whole range of different people from former poet laureates to ordinary people all over the county. Week #15 features a poem by June Palmer about the 101 bus from Stone to Hanley and its glamorous passengers.______________________________________________________________________ The 101 (Stone – Hanley) From this small town to a city centre, in the centre of nowhere, with pouts and frowns girls wait for the 101 their legs exposed and white as February, longing to be gone. Octoberish winds slam the dressed-for-summer party wenches in their Primark glam. Shop-window kittens huddled behind piss-stinky Perspex their futures written. Giggling and mewling, pushing onto the sweat-fugged bus. Some old lecher drooling as they tamp out fags on cheap fake red-soled stillies; clutching clubbing bags. Result! Limbs morphed to rubber iPhone dropped down toilet in Sugarmills, sit kerbside and blubber in gutter-bare feet. Mates chain-link arms for safety past the police presence up Trinity Street. – June Palmer BLOG POST COURTESY STAFFORDSHIRE POET LAUREATE
1 Comment
Neil
28/2/2017 04:36:36
Wow, tracked this down, amazing. June this is so well observed, so well written with its inventive language, subtle sonics and underlying rhythms, all of which never overshadow the narrative. I absolutely love this poem and just when I am hitting my own brick wall up you pop with something that is the very essence of observation. Inspiring poem, it really is.
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