re POEM 3

Trapped moth

moth-powder trail

on glass pane;

a grey smudge

circles naked candle

fleck, then retreats

again. It reappears,

travelling a parallel

circuit with eye-line;

now a sudden cerulean

as if searching for nature’s

sweet sap along cob-

webbed corners of barren

nuptial box.

Catherine Mark

re POEM 2

Eloise

Scents of Identity

Sachet-blonde

hair gelled

in signature boy-band

style

permanent pout

peeks

from apricot

lips.

She is dressed

in French-chic,

a replica of haute

couture;

as if she’s walked

off a Chanel show

in Paris;

her glassy stare

through severe designer

frames catches my gaze

briefly as she unzips

knee-

length

pointy boots…

balanced on one foot,

then the other

she slips both off,

before sauntering

towards the kitchen area,

hollering: “teas, coffees…”

in thick Mancunian twang;

a togged-up faux-pas

of cultural conundrum –

she is no different from moi.

Catherine Mark

re POEM 1

Cloud 23

From lofty Hilton heights,

floor-to-ceiling windows

reveal urban lights

flash and fade,

resembling space-capsule

beams

circling feast of nightfall

razzmatazz,

mirrors the sparkle

of frothy Fosters

grasped by weary

fingers that betray fingernails

needing a trim -

Tomorrow, tomorrow,

perhaps I’ll get around

to doing the million and one

things scrawled on my ‘To do list’

now the length of a full month

of not dones:

... pay car insurance

... catch-up call with Elise

... make appointment with dentist

... visit mum at Hathersage

... cut finger and toe nails

Another sip

from near-empty pint,

as my companion

returns to his place

opposite

He smiles a smile

which seems to have been

stitched on from birth

I allow the corners of my mouth

to twitch upward, despite

the dull mechanical ache

hammering the seat

of my spine

“You look beautiful” he says

I turn away,

look out into the glittering

page beyond the muted black

and wonder how life

became so confused, complicated.

Catherine Mark

re Poem

N4

Hybrid moralities

rend through this Northern

nest nuzzled

between Piccadilly

and Ancoats...

Distracting vinyl

and garish plastic

displays in off-beat vintage

boutiques, a new cool

dotted along

enduring cobbles...

On pliant breast,

this nipple of Manchester

cityscape titillates

with its neon milk

ducts along streets running off Victoria

station down to Shudehill...

Feeding senses

like a ubiquitous Babylon.

Catherine Mark

re Talking Walls

Another snow day here in Manchester today so cooped up at home... giving me an opportunity to catch up with a number of things including updating my blog. Thought I'd post some pictures that have emerged out of a recent 'Photography as Contemporary Art' six-week course I did at the tail-end of last year. The images reflect two briefs given by the course tutor - 'the every day' (images taken around Manchester city centre) and 'portraiture' (of a friend willing to be my muse-of-sorts... lol). I have titled this project (for an exhibition) 'Talking Walls' - very much with the idea of a poem in pictures (or poetry in imagery) in mind. Very amateurish but it's my offering. Would love to hear your thoughts...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Hello everyone... it's been a while and I apologise for neglecting my blog space since mid Nov. It has been a crazy busy time in the last couple of months... searching for a place to rent (15 viewings later - I finally, moved into a house in Salford on 7th Dec)... anticipating Joel's arrival from Oz (he landed on 14th Dec)... juggling full-time work since Sept which has been quite busy and stressful in a difficult work environment... and thinking (yes, doing more 'thinking' than 'writing') about my MMU poetry portfolio due this summer '10... and engaged in a 'photography as contemporary art' course which was fab! fab! fab! - I'm hoping to post some of my work in the new year! Well, it's lovely having hubby around after quite some time living apart and it's great to be finally on holiday from work. Since Friday 18th Dec, I've been lazying around, resting, pottering, and vegging out in front of the tele. Having a quiet Christmas and New Year with Joel in Manchester. Back at work on the 4th of Jan. And I will try and be more active blogwise in 2010.

For now, I leave you with a photo of me and Joel taken outside my last residence (which I shared with my cousin since March)... very snowy and very Christmassy. Well, here's wishing all my bloggy friends, followers and readers (old and new) a fabulous festive season. Have fun whatever you get up to! See you all (virtually) in the new year :)

re City crawl [Poem]

Dunlop tyres,
liquid headlights
streak above the river
Irwell - starlights of the soil

Below,
canal paths are busy
with end-of-day bustle,
while the daily 9-to-5 grind
washes the faces of desperate
drivers, grinding to a halt
in another traffic
crawl

teetering

caught
in heavy showers;
clear, caterpillars
wriggle down wound-shut
window panes,
I imagine

as I bite into an unripe
plum


Catherine Mark