The neighbourhoods in which we live, are full of diverse characters. People with stories to tell. Unique individuals, quirky and idiosynchratic. They fascinate us. They puzzle us. They arouse our curiosity. They challenge the norms. We celebrate their difference.
This poem about Keith is a composite of several individuals. It is based on people that lived in the town I grew up in and people I live amongst now. It's a character sketch, using a rich trove of information. I weaved those observations together in the creation of Keith.
Keith is
a handyman
Fixes
all manners of things
-even
poker machines
Learned
his trade up north
Speaks
with a slow Queenslander drawl
And
often says, I reckon
At the
end of his sentences.
Sometimes
smokes rollies
Wears
an old felt hat all year round
Lives
in a small, lightly furnished flat
With
boxes of old records and a cupboard full of cowboy shirts
And
plumber’s singlets.
The story goes-
Keith
is married
Has a
wife somewhere or other
My
mate, Splinter saw her once
Keith
brought her home after a dance at the RSL club
Blonde
hair, like summer straw
Pale,
life weary little thing
When
they arrived
They
walked down the street, arm in arm
Then
quickly entered the flat and closed the door to shut out prying eyes
There’s
more to learn
About
Keith
I
reckon
He’s
like an onion
As my
dad likes to say
We
just need to peel back some layers.
Alan j Wright
It is once again, Poetry Friday and our genial host this week is Linda Baie at Teacher Dance. Linda challenges each of us to think about choice and how we might enact positive change. Her poem is an acrostic about this very notion.
Here's to the Keith's! And "I reckon" is a common expression around these parts as well. :)
ReplyDeleteThat phrase does have universal application, Irene- I reckon...
DeleteI don't see any Keiths around my neighborhood now, Alan, but you've brought back memories of someone long ago in the small town where I grew up. That "I reckon" did it! There is the 'outer' persona & the "inner" one, right? As a watcher, I know you are; I love how you show everyone can be a poem.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Linda, we appear to have lost a lot of such characters- those handymen of yesteryear. I had this conversation recently. We are far less inclined to get things fixed these days. We have been guided down the pathway of continual replacement and planned obsolescence. This has hastened the demise of the handyman. Thank you for your kind remarks. I strongly believe observation is our lifeblood as writers and poets, so I am driven to keep practicing...
DeleteOh I recognise Keith! Thanks for the clever character sketch.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun in the making, Sally. Keith is a most familiar character.
DeleteI reckon there's more to learn about Keith, perhaps in another poem or maybe a longer work. Your powers of observation have created a colorful character!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rose. You have given something to ponder...
DeleteI wonder what kind of albums Keith has? It seems like someone named "Splinter" would also have some stories...
ReplyDeleteKeith is the kind of guy who like two types of music-country, and western! Keith was a composite while Splinter is a real person. His father owned a timber and hardware business when we were kids growing up. Splinter does have stories to tell, no doubt about that. Good questions, Tabatha.
DeleteLove the voice and your characters you created Alan, they remind me of the Short Stories by James Thurber I just started reading, wonderful drawing too, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle. I have always found pleasure in writing narrative verse. For me it's an concise way to tell a story. Can't take credit for the drawing , but it was close to the handyman concept.
DeleteWhat a portrait! I never knew there was a Queensland drawl...and those cowboy shirts and the little pale wife. Keith is intriguing. Do we get to know more of his story? I want to know.
ReplyDeleteOur far north is the equivalent of your south when it comes to a drawl, Linda. Will there be more on Keith? I'm not sure, Maybe I can weave into some other project I'm conducting.
DeleteWhat a great portrait of Keith!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marcie. It was fun making creating Keith.
Delete