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14th Anniversary Edition, Live Encounters Poetry & Writing Volume Four Nov-Dec 2023.
A singularity, poems by Greta Sykes.
A singularity
I imagine, it’s
like a moment
When lies collapse,
When all appearances,
all guises, fallacies
And history’s essence,
history’s truth,
Collide in a crescendo.
It may be close.
The streets of London
Are ringing
with ululations,
of falseness and forgetfulness.
The Strand is beaming
with the colourful flags,
on street lamps,
Hotels, teacups, ties.
Proclaiming total freedom
From nature: You can be woman, man
Or both or none.
But over there
are barriers of steel,
Huge bars and blocks,
discreetly placed overnight,
Aligning the pavements of the city,
for a show down,
For the moment
Of the singularity,
The moment of qualitative
Change, the energy,
Crescendo, the
Sound waves
That will move millions of people
Around the globe.
demanding justice,
freedom from exploitation.
From subjugation
A singularity
that cannot be stopped.
I bought a bag,
I wanted it, just suddenly,
So badly, t’was
In the sale.
A receptable,
A holder, it reminded me
being a child
And cherishing
The dolls pram
I was given.
In a hidden pouch
I kept my secrets.
It had a recess, a niche,
A nook, a cranny,
A closet, boot, just tiny,
For the doll’s shoes,
A portmanteau
For comb and hairbrush,
etui for lipstick, eye make up.
A purse and pouch
For treasures, a bag, a sack, a vestibule.
How many treasures
I could hide in it!
From spying eyes,
From older sisters,
From anyone
But from myself.
Florence
Walking past and
Watching, wide-eyed,
The magnificent buildings
From the past some hundreds
Of years,
Much older than the country
Called America,
Around me people
From all over earth,
Aroused, enlightened,
to feast on continuity,
On history, tradition, ritual,
As I do.
Suddenly, I feel I am back
To be the child
Coming across my dream
doll, a toy ship or a teddy bear
And feel again
That huge excitement
And pleasure
Of dreams becoming true,
Becoming a reality.
© Greta Sykes
Poet, writer and artist Greta Sykes has published her work in many anthologies. She is a member of London Voices Poetry Group and also produces art work for them. Her new volume of poetry called ‘The Shipping News and Other Poems’ came out in August 2016. The German translation of her book ‘Under charred skies’ has now been published in Germany under the title ‘Unter verbranntem Himmel’ by Eulenspiegel Verlag. She is the chair of the Socialist History Society and has organised joint poetry events for them at the Poetry Café. She is a trained child psychologist and has taught at the Institute of Education, London University, where she is now an associate researcher. Her particular focus is now on women’s emancipation and antiquity.
https://www.gretasykes.com/