MAG Poetry Competition 2010 – Shortlisted Poem
In My Pocket
by
London, UK
In my pocket,
A foetus, as flat as an empty envelope,
Mine.
I cup my hand around it, in my pocket,
Giving it air to breathe,
It’s still alive, I think,
Viscous, a see-through seahorse.
I walk, through a rubber-wet night, out of season,
Car tyres sneeze, gutters gob,
Brown buildings gleam like polished shoes,
Alone with my pocket baby,
I pray my breath is contagious,
As a Chinese whisper in a playground
Or plump gossip shared by friends.
Back in my pocket, my hand stays cupped.
Added: 26.03.2010
11.05.2010
Thought-provoking with beatiful imagery. The poem stays with me after reading! But why 'brown' buildings? I can't picture them.
12.05.2010
Striking imagery makes the theme of loss of an unborn moving yet unsentimental.
02.06.2010
Screamed quality and originality from within. Loved this.
15.06.2010
Very atmospheric. I especially liked the way the description of the feotus mirrors the woman walking in the wet street.
15.06.2010
Beautiful imagery - strong and sparse. Well realised, full of feeling.
20.06.2010
Terrific. Expresses wonder, anxiety, anxiety, hope, absorption - a foetus not a baby. surprising images, 'i pray my breath is contagious'