Sagrada Familia

by Colm   Sep 20, 2012


She flicks a fanned image of Catalan art
under the parasol with a twitching
of her hand. The heat is heavy
with the smell of sangria and her
perfume, backed by the whistle chorus
of gaudy, Apollo-like launchers
that parachute back into the arms
of moustached men.

The slim roll up between her fingers
is vintage, and the passing tourists peek
to spy themselves reflected
in her designer sunglasses.
She could have been the wax model
of a woman sitting on a Titanic,
listing and broken, listening to violins,
sipping scotch and not saying a word.

I pass by ushering pizzeria owners,
men with six-packs and coke,
and sit a few tables from her.
Accompanied by umbrella cocktails
we spend the lonely evening
until somebody sits down in her seat,
until I forget why I ever went back.

4


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Latest Comments

  • 10 years ago

    by Narph

    I think I finally figured out why I like your work so much. You don't write like you're trying to create a poem, you write like you're midway through telling a story. The start to this piece, for instance, could be put into paragraphs and easily inserted into a setting description of some novel or short story. There's a quality to the style that makes it so accessible and recognizable. I can smell her perfume and see those vintage cigarettes.
    Anyway, this is a good one. I wouldn't try to choose which parts exactly because I'd just end up citing the whole poem, you're going to have to settle for the rambling above instead.

  • 11 years ago

    by Larry Chamberlin

    I just came across this poem after reading it months ago. I have a personal affinity for the piece as it brings back memories like a perfect snapshot of La Rambla at night in Barcelona. I can see the souvenir salesmen & waiters hustling the crowds, the pizzerias set up al fresco with dozens of tables between the north & south bound lanes and waiters rushing across the street to the restaurants along the road.

    I believe I can even picture your Senorita, haughty yet jaded, sitting alone yet exuding allure, while the shy young man simply wants to bask in her aura.

  • 11 years ago

    by Maple Tree

    I can't express enough about how much I admire this piece.
    When I read the title of this piece, I was swept away, for In my mind I felt like the author was talking about the La Sagrada Familia, the temple in Barcelona, and in a very unique and creative form of expression, he leads me on to feel like it was a metaphor of a lady... All through out this piece I was taken away, visualizing the temple as a lady... it was really a captivating piece! Another thing I really loved, was the word "gaudy" .... Because the temple was created by Gaudi . Maybe the author didn't mean for that to be a similarity but that is the way I took it and that is what hooked me on this poem... one of the reasons anyway...
    I can't stop talking about this piece for its structure is so technically sound and truly brilliant.. The word usage and metaphors was to die for... hands down one of my favorite poems of the year! Beautiful!!

  • 11 years ago

    by Yakari Gabriel

    *melt to da floor like a burned mashmallow*

    darn, men who can write better than me...

    <33333333

  • 11 years ago

    by Amy

    A beautiful poem. I adore the vocabulary, and the imagery is just so lovely. Congrats!