PAPER WOMAN

Selling news and scandal jobs and dreams
she sits beside and beyond the roar
the ceaseless metal surge that streams

in streets morning and midday holding reams
of newsprint in arms that imagined more
than selling news and scandal jobs and dreams

drivers call or make a sign through windscreens
are passed their pages nod or ask the score
from the ceaseless metal surge that streams

no time for pleasantries just dislocated words that seem
to chatter round her head like the plans she had before
selling news and scandal jobs and dreams

other people’s deeds with their pictures in between
leave their markings on her skin and work the fodder
for the ceaseless metal surge that streams

in and out her days and sucks away the themes
she could have followed the beat she might restore
instead of selling news and scandal jobs and dreams
to the ceaseless metal surge that streams.

‘Paper Woman’ won the Inner City Life Poetry Prize 2004.

4 thoughts on “PAPER WOMAN”

It gives me great pleasure too. I’m so glad you enjoyed reading Paper Woman again.
Thank you.

Read this poem many years ago and it resonated with my city job.. now retired and relaxed I still enjoyed reading it with a wink at nostalgia.

Poem and Dish says:

July 6, 2015 at 11:54 pm

This gives me great pleasure. Thank you for sharing with us, and I hope you get to enjoy reading more poetry in your retirement. Hopefylly more time spent on the pleasures of life.

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