The Friday Market

On Fridays we would walk beneath
vaulted and high domed ceilings,
the smell of fish and cigarettes
mingling with the salty tang of tar
that stained more than the
whitest of stark enamel tiles.

Outside in the fresh air the raucous
screeches from gulls assaulted ears
as circling crazily they watched
old pallets precariously unloaded.

I never liked the smell of guts
splayed out on wooden boards
and sharp cleavers that removed
the heads with bulging eyes as
men in white coats trailed gore
as cheerfully they joked and
teased wide eyed little girls.

It was always cool inside as stall
after stall sold its ice encased wares.
Buckets of moules, oysters and shrimp,
coral speckled plaice and whelks
which oozed soapy liquid and slid
in futile, frustrating non escape.

Gentile ladies forgetting manners
haggled with hairy bare armed
fisher folk who smiled laconically
behind yellow acrid smoke, their
stumps of teeth eroded like the shores.

Fishing tackle, bait and offboard motors
were curious contraptions to behold
as sticky fingers longed to touch
the many coloured flies from rods.

Once outside our marketing done,
strong sun would beat our limbs as
the covered wicker basket rocked
gently between us as we strode,
sea shanties on our lips and tongue;
Set sail, we are homeward bound.




Poetry by Elle The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 493 times
Written on 2013-05-18 at 19:01

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Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
Beautifully written, Elle. As it did for others, your poem triggered memories of a place, thousands of miles away now, which I haven't visited for a long time.
2013-05-21


shells
This brought back such pleasurable memories of The French Halls/Guernsey market, I still remember the sawdust floor and the smell of fish. You have such a knack of descriptive poetry, such a pleasure to read.
2013-05-20



There's much here to take in... It seems so multifaceted to me, yet flows in such a flawless manner. Well, it's hard to explain how it reaches. The final lines are perfect. Love it!
2013-05-20



A sensual stroll through a maze of sounds, scents, and all the senses. Mankind and commerce make for a happy Friday.

William
2013-05-19


StillHoppin The PoetBay support member heart!
Excellence in verse! The authenticity of your tone mixed with the vibrant, vivid detail you've provided leaves me feeling as if I've walked with you, looking over your shoulder and exploring the market for myself.
2013-05-19


countryfog
What a wonderfully evocative poem (and memory) Elle. It has been some years since I used to go to a very similar market but you have brought back every sound and sight and smell of it, and no little nostalgia for it.
2013-05-18



Once again you describe a scene vividly and personally. It's a rich world, and once again you take me somewhere I've never been.
2013-05-18