Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Splashing wet poetry bus

Jessica Maybury holds the keys for this weeks bus trip, and this week the theme is bathing, water or anything aqueous - see more trippers here...


Wash Time


I like to get some proper dirt
before I have a bath
I want to be worth washing
leave my mark
turn crystal water cloudy
steep in steaming suds
that turn to scum topped puddles
so leave me to my splash
I race my little ponies, manes billowing slow motion
round the track and under knees
a cloth squeezed beneath shoulders
gives the softest bubble massage
then plug is pulled with yank of toe
a naked body reappears
slowly rises carved from water
weightlessness sucked down the pipes
belly button last to hollow
I'm clean another week

14 comments:

Peter Goulding said...

Brilliantly evocative, as usual, but I really think it needs a home video to accompany it...

Rachel Fox said...

You get better and better, N.
x

Louise said...

What's there to say except fab poem!

NanU said...

Good one, I can really get into the tub here! I like to be worth washing too, but my colleagues might object if I went a whole week.

Kat Mortensen said...

Enjoyed it all, but two lines especially jumped out for me,
"steep in steaming suds"sssss!

"slowly rises carved from water" - would make a wonderful painting...

I like your "little ponies" too.

Really neat poem.

Kat

Niamh B said...

Peter - camcorders weren't invented when this was set. This is the closest I can find... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8yn4Jn-Yc
Thanks Rachel! x
Thanks Socks :-)
NanU - Mine too, it's totally not about me!
Thanks Kat - there are some great bathtime paintings out there aren't there? The ponies were great fun.

Unknown said...

Awe I'd forgotten that joy bath time used to hold.

Dick said...

A joyful and evocative celebration of the bath and bathing.

Niamh B said...

Thanks Gwei and Dick. :-)

Titus said...

Yeah, this is seriously strong work. Great voice.

Jinksy said...

Must feel like the tide's gone out, sitting in a bath until it empties! lol :)

Niamh B said...

Thanks Jinksy and Titus

Totalfeckineejit said...

Brillo pads!

Niamh B said...

that'd be abrasive!