Hi Sally - Wonderful ending. I found the line breaks hard to follow though
and some of the punctuation seemed a bit random. I'm not one to criticize
though - my punctuation is improving a bit but only because I'm teaching
basic skills now!
Definitely one worth working on.
Catherine
>From: Sally James <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: New Sub Nanny and the gas mantle
>Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 17:28:05 +0100
>
>I don't seem to be able to stop writing at the moment so sorry to bother
>you all but here is another
>
>
>Nanny and the gas mantle
>
>“We’re going electric” she declared
>and pulled the mantle down to light
>watched the yellow skulk
>across the ceiling, walls
>faces laugh in whitewashed cracks
>heard a hiss uncurl around the room
>the firelight flare with added glee
>Her rolled up sleeves showed thin brown arms
>bright blue veins which throbbed
>against her wrists
>Her lips the tallor of coal tar, chirped
>“Tomorrow I will press a switch”
>then pushed the pipe up to the rose
>sniffed hard, then sat me on her knee
>Next night, another light enhanced the room
>but the gassy smell still hung around the house
>clung to curtains, books and chairs
>and nanny too as she wondered
>at the spark within the glass
>that swayed upon a twist of flex
>and dangled like a captured star.
>
>sally james
>
>
>
>
>
>
>As if the furniture had absorbed it
>and each swirl of the net curtains
>sent wafts around the room
>even her books wouldn’t let go
>and saturated the pages.
>
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