Hernia Scar
So the bandages have finally fallen off, and I have a scar about two inches long (much to my dismay as the doctor promised only ‘an inch and a bit’). It’s a funny little thing because it’s just a straight cut, no marks of stitches (they are only on the inside), jagged edges (one would hope the scalpel wasn’t), or any funny business, just one wicked line, pink, scabless (fell off with the bandages), and hard.
So it makes you wonder, this line (thankfully hidden below my bikini line), what could it do for my writing? I have a poem entitled ‘Scar’ that was written about a break-up (cliche of cliches? perhaps, but none too traditional to make modern), but could I write a poem about an actual scar? Something everyday? Something modern. So what do people have to say about it? Let’s take a line from my mother: ‘well, that is quite the scar… just put some maderma on it and it will fade to something barely visible. Just ask at the pharmacist’
right, ‘barely visible.’ Here we go:
Just ask the pharmacist,
flash lights, wink twice,
snap fingers and …
‘below the biniki line’ she whispers
to worshippers behind her in line.
‘Below the bikini line!’ a little louder.
‘This won’t work on hearts,’ emphasis on
‘icanseeyoucryingbehindglasses.’
Cries in aisles of baby memories,
condoms stolen from chapsticked
teenagers like garden parties
of animals masqueraded as fish
and sharks. Screams house to house
through rooftops via chimneys,
sweeps swept north by umbrellas
carried by winds and clouds of ash;
dust from dollars burnt at the stake,
football helmets left, empty, on the field,
books abandoned, opened to page 102-
‘the invention of color’. A black and white
with shattered screen. Unbelievable
a girl could wear red shoes. Unbelievable
that a boy could cut that deep. Unbelievable
the scar could be healed by the pharmacist recommendation.
There we have it. Nothing too brilliant, but first drafts never are, are they? Ideally I’ll play up on the 1950’s bit for the next draft… I’ll post it when I do.
Next time I hope to get a bit of performance written. I have a show coming up on the 24th of August for the Birdcage Festival in Norwich. So anyone who is around, get your asses in gear.
until then,
Sx
