Sunday, 8 November 2009

November Poems 08


Should there be a Reason?

The plot demands it by tradition but
in life it is not always apparent.
In the paper yesterday there was a young boy
found stuffed into a waste pipe
his trousers missing and one shoe
left some distance away
the laces still tied.
I think about that shoe
as my murderer carves off the face
of his latest victim and
pulls out the teeth with a pipe-wrench.
Why was the boy killed?
the police and I wonder and the answer
comes in rusted steep and a pair
of dental grips in my hand:

Because he knew the killer.

6 comments:

aims said...

Okay sweetie - House guest and I are discussing this one.

Pulling teeth with a pipe-wrench has him writhing in his seat. He says it's like cutting with a hammer and how do you get those huge things into someone's mouth in the first place.

My first question was - what is 'rusted steep'? That has confused us incredibly. Does that mean there was a lot of rust high up?

Also - is the boy in the waste pipe true? If so - that would eat at my brain I think.

Finally - you go from pipe wrenches to dental grips at the last. Purposefully?

(I love asking the author)

btw - When a poem brings out this many questions - it has obviously struck a chord and therefore is great.

Unknown said...

You and I are much the same.

Beautifully done, love.

Rachel Green said...

Aims:
Remember the victim is dead already, and pipe wrenches do go down quite small. The killer has no compunction not to breat the jaw.

rusted steep: the sediment in the bottom of water when something rusts in a puddle

The boy - yes, true. Last year in Suffolk

Pipe wrench to dental grip -- because I am teasing out a plot and need the finesse


Steph: Indeed - too much so, sometimes.

aims said...

House guest is saying -

'Wow Rachel - Impact!'

Rachel Green said...

Thank you HG :)

BT said...

Well, shiver me timbers as my Mum would say. Excellent and the explanations helped too.