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Friday, April 29, 2011

DAY 29 - NAPOWRIMO 2011

Posted to Writers Island


I WOKE UP THIS MORNING…
(in a ditch within Crawling Distance of home)

Friday night, just finished work
By work I mean that thing I do
With bright orange, reflective tape
(Y’know, the sort that indicates
A potential roadside hazard)
To pass the time until that thing
That we all live for - the weekend
I’m not talking about that
Crime Scene/Police Line Do Not Cross/
Danger – Unexploded Mine
Type of tape, but rather that
Bog-standard, common or garden
Bright orange, reflective stuff
Supported by steel spiked poles
Used to cordon-off areas
To warn of road works… and such like
Y’know, to prevent accidents
That’s the theory, anyway
And the way the whole thing works
This very theoretical
Accident prevention thing
Is all down to one thing; this:
The reflective properties
Of the ultra-bright orange tape
Which is not only reflective
No – more, so much more than this
It’s thoughtfully reflective
Indeed one might even say
Considerately reflective
Because not only is it
Reflective of the light of day
But also it’s reflective
Of artificial light sources
During the hours of darkness
Which means you’d really have to be
Some kind of fool to miss it
…Wouldn’t you?

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25 comments:

  1. vivinfranceApril 29, 2011 at 2:20 PM

    Every one of your posts make me laugh. If I wrote this kind of stream of consciousness poem it would be dead boring. Yours is absolutely the reverse.

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  2. Mariya KolevaApril 29, 2011 at 2:44 PM

    Friday night, ha? Time to get "masculine" and wake up in the ditch, is it?
    I got confused, as usual, which is charming. Great tape, great sequence, great poem.

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  3. Stan SkiApril 29, 2011 at 3:03 PM

    Thanks to:
    Viv; This one is more stream of UNconsciousness :)
    Mariya; You sussed me out - and I understand your confusion... the Friday Night Mission is definitely a bloke thing.

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  4. Andy SewinaApril 29, 2011 at 3:37 PM

    The trouble is you can't see a thing after ten pints of Holt's bitter!

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  5. Stan SkiApril 29, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    Thanks Andy; Which is funny, because after nine you can see everything... even things that don't exist...

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  6. Ron.April 29, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    I ususally think of you (when I'm thinking, and it's you I'm thinking about) as a pretty funny poet (not in the sense that many people think "funny" when they think about poets but, you know humorous), so imagine, if you will (you will, won't you?) how surprised I was, and am, really, to read this deep and reflective piece.

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  7. Stan SkiApril 29, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    Thanks Ron; Funnily enough it came as quite a surprise to me too... :o

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  8. Mariya KolevaApril 29, 2011 at 5:46 PM

    @Ron.: Wow!

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  9. MaryApril 29, 2011 at 6:43 PM

    You definitely have a way with reflective poems, Stan!

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  10. Stan SkiApril 29, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Thanks Mary; Glad this one managed to catch your eye.

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  11. IselfApril 29, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    Love your adverbially reflective constructions in there :)

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  12. Stan SkiApril 29, 2011 at 7:10 PM

    Thanks Iself; Especially kind of you to mention it...

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  13. ElizabethApril 29, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    You are mind boggling, Stan. I got whip lash trying to read it, kept losing my place because I was laughing. But don't worry, I have some medicinal tape that works for that sort of thing. Thank goodness it isn't reflective,

    Elizabeth

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  14. flaubertApril 29, 2011 at 11:46 PM

    Stan, interesting how you laid this one out. I won't pretend to understand all of it, but I did get a chuckle out of the title:)

    Pamela

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  15. Stan SkiApril 30, 2011 at 12:14 AM

    Thanks to:
    Elizabeth; Some of that tape this way please... :)
    Pamela; 'Happy in the haze of a drunken hour' - Morrisey

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  16. barbaraApril 30, 2011 at 4:36 AM

    ah, considerately.
    It's nice to find consideration when you're just the least bit impaired.

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  17. Mr. WalkerApril 30, 2011 at 7:05 AM

    I think the sound I made when I finished reading your poem could appropriately be called a guffaw. Thanks, Stan. That was great. "Considerately reflective" just slays me.

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  18. Stan SkiApril 30, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    Thanks to:
    Barbera; Least or most - they'll always try.
    Mr.Walker; There's a thought process in everything...

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  19. AnonymousApril 30, 2011 at 7:52 AM

    Upon further reflection, I must admit you crack me up! Your poems usually bring quite a visual image to mind...because you're within crawling distance of home I see some of that reflective tape dragging behind you as you crawl...

    Thanks for the laughs this week!

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  20. GloriaApril 30, 2011 at 8:55 AM

    Yes, you would! You are fast becoming one of my favorite poets. :)

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  21. Stan SkiApril 30, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    Thanks to:
    Whenwordsescape; Nothing like a good crawl after a kip in a ditch...! :)
    Gloria; You're very kind, thank you.

    And apologies to Barbara for spelling your name wrong.

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  22. AnonymousApril 30, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    A real stream of consciousness piece. Made me think.

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  23. Stan SkiApril 30, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    Thanks I'mnotaverse; There's a moral in it, somewhere...

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  24. Judy RoneyApril 30, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Too funny from the title to the ending! What a great poem!

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  25. Stan SkiApril 30, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    Thanks Judy; It wasn't very funny waking up in that ditch... :)

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