The Child Poet Revisited
When I was seven
They took my words
And mounted them
On purple card.
I gave them
A picture of a dragon,
A swarm of moths,
A coloured box.
They said:
“That’s very good,
Now go and do
Something else.”
*
I kept it up
In little books,
Just for myself,
Hidden away.
They said:
“We’re worried about
The things he says,
The things he draws.”
I gave them
A picture of a dragon
A swarm of moths
A coloured box.
*
I gave them
A picture of a dragon
A swarm of moths
A coloured box.
I said:
“That’s who I am,
That’s those I fear
And that is my soul.”
They locked me up
To keep me safe,
Far away
From adult things.
*Adrian Slatcher lives and works in Manchester. This year he has published two poetry chapbooks, Playing Solitaire for Money (Salt Modern Voices) and Extracts from Levona (Knives Forks and Spoons Press.) He also writes fiction and non-fiction and regularly blogs about literature. He also records electronic music under the name Bonbon Experiment.
