With the sarcastic
percussion
of fingers on
the table top,
my heart used to skip
a beat. I longed
for the comforting
generosity of chimes
in a summer garden
instead of the irascible
crash of cymbals,
a teenage girl
flouncing out the door;
I don’t hear that any more.
Kim M. Russell, 26th January 2019
My poem for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Weekend Mini Challenge: Sarcastic Percussion, also linked to Poets United Poetry Pantry
This weekend I’m hosting the Mini Challenge with a prompt based on a phrase taken from the book How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran: ‘sarcastic percussion’. I wondered what sarcastic percussion might sound like and pondered all of its interpretations, and my mind threw up a couple of other similar phrases, such as ‘vitriolic violins’ and ‘optimistic flutes’. The prompt is to choose an instrument, give it a characteristic adjective or a personality, and write a poem about it. I stuck with the original phrase.
This is absolutely gorgeous, Kim! ❤️ I can feel the longing, the desire for something more and the feelings that follow. There is a certain comfort to chimes isn’t there? And that too in a Summer garden! Sigh.. love this! ❤️ Thank you for hosting and for the amazing prompt 🙂
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Thank you so much, Sanaa! I miss those teenage trounces. Ellen’s all grown up and a mum herself. I don’t know if boys trounce but Lucas won’t be a teenager for a long time yet!
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What a cool prompt. I love the violin and the flute. Great poem Kim!
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Thank you so much!
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I love the way you had the sound of those drumming fingertips and the longing you felt then for some silence and quiet… and now how you miss the thrill of of the teenager… growing up means winning some and losing a lot.
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She can still flounce, though!
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Beautiful and heartfelt writing. Perfect timing, too! Good one, Kim.
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Thank you kindly!
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Teens are sooooo dramatic. I used to flounce. Now I jiggle.
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I was too scared of my dad to flounce and left home at sixteen. I do jiggle, though!
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the irascible
crash of cymbals…
Love the cadence of the lines!
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Thank you, Kerry!
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Lovely – and sassy too! 🙂
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Thank you, Rosemary! 😊
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Lovely, as always. But you leave me mystified … why the preference of one sound over the other? I’m thinking..maybe the chaos of youth versus the calmness of maturity…?
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Thanks Viv. It’s not so much about preference of sound but not realising how much you’ll miss the drumming fingernails and door slamming when those teenagers have gone.
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Awww….I’m nearly there myself 🙂
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Sometimes while raising my teenage girl, I remember the clanging of my own cymbals, and how they match up with the rhythm of hers. The funniest is when we talk and she recognizes that the things I am trying to express come from the recognition of that beat.
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Ellen will be 39 this year. I have noticed the matching rhythms more and more. 😊
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A teenage girl flouncing out the door- wow that brought back memories of my daughter. Thanks Kim.
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They must be the same the world over, Linda!
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Haha! Yes.
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“the comfortable generosity of chimes” – I love the sound of this.
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Thank you, Sara!
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I love the whole idea of chimes in a summer garden. My youngest daughter is now 42, and still like that young girl of years ago. Smiles
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🙂
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I’ve only read one post and I’m already in love with your poetic soul and your stream of consciousness writing. So beautiful. Thank you for putting your authentic self out there for us to celebrate. If you get a chance I would love it if you checked my blog out, I feel that it would resonate with you! Looking forward to reading more!
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Thank you so much for reading and for your compliments.
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My pleasure!
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