We are now very pleased to announce that the Pick of the Month for February 2016 is ‘It Starts with Her Awkward Hairline’ by Patri Wright.
Patri has been shortlisted for the 2015 Bridport Prize, and poems from his pamphlet Nullaby have been published in several magazines, including Agenda and Brittle Star. He is a Lecturer at The Open University and teaches Creative Writing.
Patri receives a £10 National Book Tokens gift card.
It Starts with Her Awkward Hairline
the bit behind her ear, along the bone,
I accidentally on purpose stroke
as the comb starts to move freely. Her head
between my knees, a kiss on her lobe —
something she wouldn’t get in a salon —
and fingers that look for further lugs.
The part along her neck too, the transition
of neck and scalp, like beach and sea
where hairs grow upward. Once she
hid it from view, calling herself simian;
and now it’s a zone, one she says I made
for her, that wasn’t there before.
I kiss this too, following the teeth
and say: ‘Repeat: “I am beautiful.”’
She says: ‘You are beautiful.’ Still that’s
better than it was, as I work on her
one stage at a time. All that’s left now
is the style, and I start back with the comb,
fan out a fringe as she watches TV.
The filaments are the days we’ve got left.
Roots of silver I cover with cosmic blue.
And here an echo, almost unheard.
I did this for another. I was smaller.
We had an electric fire. She wore
rollers. And it was far from a chore,
rather utmost pleasure, untangling
strands until they flowed like rivers.
I still seem to know how much pressure
to apply, not to hurt a single nerve.
Voters’ comments included:
I love the tenderness conveyed in this poem and how it manages to draws the reader in. I also like how it makes use of a single experience to draw to time periods and relationships together.
Though I like many here, I think this is the best poem. It’s moving and evocative.
very loving , gentle, sensitive and enthralling.
Sweetly erotic, makes for a multiplicity of devotional feelings adopted in childhood, carried through to a maturity of romantic love that care alone deems redundant. This one is a national treasure.
Unsettling
Beautiful piece of subtlety
Tender. Full of feeling & sensitivity. A delight.
Thoughtful, sensational lines and the courage to hunt down what he wants to say. Wonderful structure that draws the reader into the heart of the poem. Enjoyed.
It’s observant and a deeply charged and intimate poem! Patri has a scholarly edge over many. He has an incisive way of constructing poems with a great thoughtfulness.
A moment perfectly captured. Touching intimate detail. Clever time shift
It makes my mum tangible
Selected voters’ comments on the rest of the shortlist are below:
Jinny Fisher, ‘The Scarf’
The pure simplicity of it, great layout, love the repetition, so much in a few perfect words.
Robin Houghton, ‘Tying the bowline’
The way it flows and builds up an image in the mind…
Emily Oldham, ‘Love’
It conveys so much in so few words. And I love the lines “So you take nothing from the dark when you flee, except your voice.” Because we do often flee from love but that gets us very little.
Paul Smith, ‘The Mattress Conspiracy’
Got me at the first line!
M. G. Stephens, ‘Missing Silverware’
Never read such an accurate reflection of my own memory!