Thread: Yesterday's News

Left over remnants
from Babylonian traditions,
we say goodbye to
worn out,
weathered
and weary
Old Man Time.

A trice after the tremble
of the ticker-tape crowd,
baby New Year is birthed,
bundled in crisp white calendar.

Far from the celebration.
an old man,
worn out,
weathered
and weary
is curled up
in a cardboard box.

A thread worn coat,
his tuxedo.
Scruffy grey beard,
his silken scarf.
Rat bites,
kisses from a lover.

If not for these sums,
these musings,
the day in his eyes
would die
with the old year.

A girl, stumbling drunk
from Times Square,
tosses a five dollar bill
into his box.

He lay his head on it.
It, a cumulus cloud.

Ready for sleep,
he covers his face,
his grimy grin,
with newspaper,
yesterday's news.

He drifts off and dreams
of marking a white calendar.

Sheeeee's Back! And with a vengeance, and I'm first to leave tracks, yay! I'm so glad you posted this, love. Your old man is so very clear in my mind's eye, heart wrenching. Love S4, your description hits home. Two suggestions, please consider moving the of at the end of S2, L1 down to the second line, for me, and perhaps only me, it reads better that way. Someone, I can't recall whom, told me never to end a line with of when I first arrived here, so it could be I'm biased. In S6 the comma after drunk is causing an unwanted pause, perhaps remove it and place it after Times Square, again, perhaps just me. Nothing like a good smack in the head, thank you for providing one. Yesterday's news is a brilliant finish. I'm glad you're back, Law, your love poems were grand, but you know how much I love the nitty gritty.

Hi Silvermoon

I very much enjoyed this - the link between the old man and last year. Loved the image of the new year being birthed and wrapped in a new calendar.

The only thing I stumbled over was line 2 in the last verse - the double use of it. I also questioned the smile. He seems a sad, lonely character with nothing much to smile about but could be just me.

Hi Silvermoon,

Poignant, you are most talented.

Reminds me (in a good way) of Ralph McTell's song which also uses the poignant metaphoric association of yesterday's news and a fallen man -YouTube - Ralph Mctell - Streets Of London

There are only so many words and this is one of those beautiful metaphors which can be used again and again.

Thanks for a beautiful poem.

Ian (smile)

Hello, Silvermoon

Very nice this was. loved that silver scarf stanza, excellent imagery.

this stanza here:

If not for these sums
his eyes would die
with the old year.
Hope would burst
like black and white balloons.

seemed to sway away from the topic of the poem for me. I don't know why, but the poem read better without

I did enjoy this piece as is. just how my mind goes

thanks for the read

Sync
　

Lisa, thank you for welcoming back. I’ve been missing writing about the dark side of the human condition. How would some people take it during the holiday! I had to spare them. Wrote this on Christmas day. Feeling rather forced to celebrate this year, I could not wait to post a bit of doom and gloom for today. But here, we have a hopeful ending. OMG! I might have lost my edge! Your points on punctuation are on spot, per usual, and consider them a fix. I’ve altered the ending prior to your review as I felt it was much too clipped.

Hi, shadows. Glad you enjoyed.

with newspaper,
yesterday's news.

To address your question. Eluding to the old year by using yesterday's news. Making a distinction between the old year and the new one.

He seems a sad, lonely character with nothing much to smile about but could be just me.

I understand the impression that all bumbs have little to smile about but when given something as meager a dollar bill or a McDonald's (remember, I've seen this) you will see a smile of gratitude.

I dramatize his state of mind. No two bumbs are alike just like no two pedestrians are alike.

A thread worn coat,
his tuxedo.
Scruffy grey beard,
his silken scarf.
Rat bites,
kisses from a lover.

Hope I've given you clear explanations Thanks much for reading and for your questions. And am very glad you enjoyed.

Ian, Thank you so for the YouTube. I'm familiar with this most moving song. And what a grand feeling it is that my verse reminded you of this song. Much of my work "is" about the fallen man or woman who grapples with their worlds, both internally and externally. So many metaphors abounding to get humankind's condition across.

Sync, I'm actually going to give what follows some thought. Thank you. It might be extraneous or in need of revision.

If not for these sums
his eyes would die
with the old year.
Hope would burst
like black and white balloons.

Glad you enjoyed, otherwise.

Like this one a lot Laurie, and glad you're back. Though I did enjoy your softer side, too. You have some wonderful images in this one.

baby New Year is birthed,
bundled in crisp white calendar.

A thread worn coat,
his tuxedo.
Scruffy grey beard,
his silken scarf.
Rat bites,
kisses from a lover.

Thanks, Cindy, I have so much fun playing around with imagery.

Nice one, Laurie . I like the image of a bum on new year's, how not everyone's going to have a huge party. But it also shows how even without much ado he's still welcoming the new year.
-cae

As usual you have brought something fresh and nice,too. Laurie, I am totally in with this one. Could see the ol' man so clearly cos you're so descriptive, putting in the words. And xmas surely came to this dude.

Uzo...

Stanzas 4 and 8 were my favorites, but this is a solid and well-crafted piece all around. I'm always taken back by how different we all are... we proud few WF poets... in our subjects and in the ways we approach them. You, Lisa, Edgewise, myself, on and on past iDrew and apple, Sync and so on... we are all so different that reading through the work here is seldom less than an adventure. But this was a find! Thank you for posting it!

J

P.S. May I call you Laurie? It seems most do, but I didn't want to assume your permission.