POETRY WORKSHOP
Love hurts
Alison Chisholm looks at a love poem with an twist
WHEN
When he said he loved her she smiled and tossed her head,
sharp teeth of winter nipped but love lent warmth instead.
When he said he loved her he spoke from deep within,
then somehow found the notes to play the violin.
When he said he loved her he hadn’t ever flown,
but now among the birds he scanned the seeds he’d sown.
When she took those scissors to sever ties right through,
he carved bold abstract art in one wrist, then in two.
Sometimes deep and disturbing messages can make even more impact if you write them in a deceptively simple manner. This is certainly the case with When. The single word title leads into a brief idyll of romantic love; and the ending brings a conclusion that makes the reader gasp.
The content of When was a natural choice for poet David Monk of Neston, Cheshire. He says: ‘I have a professional background in working with troubled young people whose behaviour is often complex and sometimes destructive to themselves and others.’ So a poem that examines the way a young man copes – or not – with the very common experience of a failed love affair is a topic with which he has some familiarity.