MARC CARVER - POEMS

​Marc Carver writes poetry and tries to be nice to people because he can do very little else.

BEAUTY

​I found the most beautiful woman I have ever seen 
she sits perfectly still 
all white. 
Even without eyes
she looks right at me.
That face could tame men 
even make fools of them if she wanted.
How could a human hand and hammer make such a thing.
For a second I thought she was going to come to life and tell me my love had set her free. 
She is still looking at me now 
I don't want to leave her 
but I guess I must before people begin to stare at me.

​DONKEY

When I got on the train 
the man was talking 
and I knew he would still be talking 
when I got off in fifty minutes.
He
was mostly talking about Bob.
"Yea he is okay but you know".
He said in a way that only people who are used to talking, talk.

He is still talking now 
perhaps he never stops as long as he has someone to listen.
My mother would say
he could talk the legs off a donkey.
This guy could talk the legs off of thousands.
As I thought about this I took another look at him
a pictured him in a field
talking to a donkey with others behind 
and a big pile of donkey's legs all piled up
He got off a Clapham junction 
still talking 
and once again I could see him in that field.

​TAP

​Some days there is nothing to write about
not a dam thing
no joy
no hate 
nothing but black clouds
and the sound of nothing
no one to talk to
no thing do you want to do
no doing 
no coming
no going
not even the chance of a little drink to kill the day before it begins
no 
these days 
just go on forever
like a leak
from a tap
drip 
drip

​THE SOANE AND RHONE

​Two swans 
two ducks and a seagull sit on the quai where the two rivers meet 
They don't talk to each other 
but they seem to be saying something 
it seems to be important 
but whatever it is 
it doesn't involve me.

I kept walking past the drunks who sat on the steps at the square with the horses that had smoke coming from their noses 
but they could not breathe life into themselves.
 I don't know why I just didn't stop and sit with the drunks at least I would finally know my place.

​FANNY

​Christine bond showed me her fanny.
 I was only ten and she may have been younger.
 She always smelt a bit funny
 I wonder where she is now and whether she is still showing people her fanny

​MEMORIES

​I took all my sports stuff to the car by mistake I picked up a pair of her knickers.
One of the few clean pairs 
then I forgot all about them. 
A few days later I came out of the gym and there they were still on the floor of the car.
I grabbed them and hung them on the mirror 
they sway back and forth as I drive around.
 If she asks me I can say I wanted something to remind me of you