It came right down to the wire this time but Rebecca Sandeman’s ‘Epoch’ edged home to be the Pick of the Month for July 2018. This ‘powerful’ ’empathetic’ poem moved voters and marked Rebecca, in her words ‘usually a fiction writer’, as one to watch in poetry.
Rebecca is a PhD student at the University of Sheffield and Events Organiser for a lawyers firm. She is editor at @CicatriceJournal and her work has appeared in Route 57, Edinburgh Inkwell, Llady and Prole.
Epoch
And I can’t
can’t
do the 7:45 wetness
on the bathroom floor
anymore
I step in it
And my socks
are sad on the way to work.
Conduit Road is more
miserable
having items which
weep unexpectedly.
I’m sorry that I break
once
every 28 days.
It’s an unfortunate side effect
of pins in your arm
and love.
And you,
you
Tell me everything’s
going to be okay
in a voice I abhor
offering orgasms
and cups of tea,
to talk me down
from the ledge.
I tell you I’ve got cold feet
And that I miss
my Waitrose deliveries.
I say I don’t want
you to touch me
and that your family
are annoying.
(Which they are)
And then
And then
We turn off the light
With our
new clean bed sheet
which you have blow-dried
along with my knickers
for work
and we kiss in the dark
for hours
my tongue tells your teeth
how much of a fool
I am.
*********
Voters comments included:
It moved me, to a better place
Amazing poem, loved the bit about the socks
Truly powerful words, spoken with a knowledge of great breadth. I’ll keep my eye on this poet.
It provides insight into the feelings of others when ill health is prevailing and encourages the reader to be empathetic.
Talented, creative and truly spoken.
The simple little gestures of love made me cry!
Astonishing work.
A classy writer who has style and clout
I just adore her
Sad socks and a pervading rawness – I like this.
A powerful depiction of conflicting emotions in a period of someone’s life. I can relate to this.
… she is such an inspirational person and so talented in her artform