Long Poems About Risk
#risk
Silent - Danger
The Present, Lucy
The walls are caving in, the darkness suffocating her, thick smog, like the smoke from the fire. Her parents' killer is close by, tormenting her with mind games, pretending to be the father of her half-brother Pete Whittaker, Katie's son.
I'm never going to get out of here.
In the corridor, footsteps sound again. She waits, no longer afraid of the Angel of Mercy. She must fool him. She must pretend she's prepared to do what he says, and then hurt him when he relaxes. Or she must feign illness and injure him that way. Two years ago, she...
The walls are caving in, the darkness suffocating her, thick smog, like the smoke from the fire. Her parents' killer is close by, tormenting her with mind games, pretending to be the father of her half-brother Pete Whittaker, Katie's son.
I'm never going to get out of here.
In the corridor, footsteps sound again. She waits, no longer afraid of the Angel of Mercy. She must fool him. She must pretend she's prepared to do what he says, and then hurt him when he relaxes. Or she must feign illness and injure him that way. Two years ago, she...
#memories
#mystery
#obsession #risk
#obsession #risk
158 reads
6 Comments
Silent - Return To The House (3)
Two Years Ago, Gavin
Scared of an old man? You'd think, no way. But believe me, hearing that voice on the stairs really freaked us out because it was so unexpected.
Thick darkness of the storage room.
And then the door opening, letting in light.
Lucy's face has gone chalky pale. As if she was ill or something.
'Oh,' Arthur Harlesden said. 'I was looking for someone. I thought they might be in here.'
'Oh,' I echoed. 'Yeah, right.'
'I was looking for one of the young apprentices from Terence's...
Scared of an old man? You'd think, no way. But believe me, hearing that voice on the stairs really freaked us out because it was so unexpected.
Thick darkness of the storage room.
And then the door opening, letting in light.
Lucy's face has gone chalky pale. As if she was ill or something.
'Oh,' Arthur Harlesden said. 'I was looking for someone. I thought they might be in here.'
'Oh,' I echoed. 'Yeah, right.'
'I was looking for one of the young apprentices from Terence's...
#secrets
#mystery
#risk
154 reads
2 Comments
Railroaded
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Unbarred railroad crossing
Red lights flashing
this way,
that way
Where is the train?
I wish there were other cars around me.
I'm not sure what to do.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Red lights flashing
this way
that way
No train in sight..
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Red lights flashing
this way
that way
6:30 AM
a car pulls up ...
Unbarred railroad crossing
Red lights flashing
this way,
that way
Where is the train?
I wish there were other cars around me.
I'm not sure what to do.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Red lights flashing
this way
that way
No train in sight..
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Red lights flashing
this way
that way
6:30 AM
a car pulls up ...
#risk
218 reads
12 Comments
Silent - Return To The House (2)
Two Years Ago, Lucy
Suddenly, she got the impression that someone was watching her from an upstairs window, looking beyond the clump of tree trunk, directly at her. She peered up, certain that the person was standing there, staring down from the top floor where Agnes was currently staying in a double apartment. But she couldn't see anyone.
The entrance door opened. Gavin. 'It's not too bad, but we'll have to be quick. Veronica's round the back with this lad I've not seen before. I told her I'd come back because I wasn't feeling well. We go straight in and up the...
Suddenly, she got the impression that someone was watching her from an upstairs window, looking beyond the clump of tree trunk, directly at her. She peered up, certain that the person was standing there, staring down from the top floor where Agnes was currently staying in a double apartment. But she couldn't see anyone.
The entrance door opened. Gavin. 'It's not too bad, but we'll have to be quick. Veronica's round the back with this lad I've not seen before. I told her I'd come back because I wasn't feeling well. We go straight in and up the...
#memories
#mystery
#risk
117 reads
0 Comments
Silent, Return To The House (1)
Two Years Ago, Lucy
They asked the cab driver to drop them off at the entrance to the private driveway. She hadn't told Gavin everything. She couldn't bring herself to mention her half-brother Pete, her visits to Katie Whittaker or Veronica's phone call to Steve concerning yesterday afternoon at the bungalow.
'So what have you got in mind?' Gavin asked her on the walk down the drive.
'If I can get into the reception without Veronica spotting me, I hope to break into the main computer system and email the files to my address. Then I can read them later.' ...
They asked the cab driver to drop them off at the entrance to the private driveway. She hadn't told Gavin everything. She couldn't bring herself to mention her half-brother Pete, her visits to Katie Whittaker or Veronica's phone call to Steve concerning yesterday afternoon at the bungalow.
'So what have you got in mind?' Gavin asked her on the walk down the drive.
'If I can get into the reception without Veronica spotting me, I hope to break into the main computer system and email the files to my address. Then I can read them later.' ...
#mystery
#obsession
#risk
147 reads
5 Comments
Silent, A Unexpected Encounter
Two Years Ago, Gavin
I went on stage next.
'Let's start again,' Agnes said, a minute or two into the Chopin Scherzo. 'Your mind's on something else today' – yeah, like Philippa – 'wake up, please, and play the piece as it's meant to be played. You'll be performing this before an audience on Friday lunchtime, so I would like to hear a performance now.'
***
Everyone planned to head into town for lunch. After my session with Agnes Harlesden, I decided to slip away and get a taxi back to the House.
I started towards the taxi rank on the main...
I went on stage next.
'Let's start again,' Agnes said, a minute or two into the Chopin Scherzo. 'Your mind's on something else today' – yeah, like Philippa – 'wake up, please, and play the piece as it's meant to be played. You'll be performing this before an audience on Friday lunchtime, so I would like to hear a performance now.'
***
Everyone planned to head into town for lunch. After my session with Agnes Harlesden, I decided to slip away and get a taxi back to the House.
I started towards the taxi rank on the main...
#relationships
#mystery
#obsession #risk
#obsession #risk
158 reads
2 Comments
Silent, The Beethoven Sonata
Two Years Ago, Gavin
I hadn't been back to the Grand Theatre since Sunday, two days ago, and didn't know what to expect. In the auditorium, I scanned the seats for signs of Philippa. She hadn't arrived.
I sat in between a couple of students I hadn't spoken to yet and averted my eyes when I passed Dawn. The auditorium seemed pretty empty today, unlike on Sunday morning when Philippa had got angry in class. I felt uncomfortable, knowing that Agnes Harlesden and my former Russian Coach in London were friends and had probably discussed me at length.
Paul was on stage,...
I hadn't been back to the Grand Theatre since Sunday, two days ago, and didn't know what to expect. In the auditorium, I scanned the seats for signs of Philippa. She hadn't arrived.
I sat in between a couple of students I hadn't spoken to yet and averted my eyes when I passed Dawn. The auditorium seemed pretty empty today, unlike on Sunday morning when Philippa had got angry in class. I felt uncomfortable, knowing that Agnes Harlesden and my former Russian Coach in London were friends and had probably discussed me at length.
Paul was on stage,...
#music
#mystery
#obsession #risk
#obsession #risk
166 reads
2 Comments
Silent - The Girlfriend (2)
Two Years Ago, Gavin
I suppose I should have paid more attention to the signs around me, for Philippa seemed flustered and in a hurry to leave when she woke, like she couldn't wait to get away. And later, when I headed to the communal bathroom, I caught sight of the mentor Dawn staring at me with such hostility, it scared me. That was the first time I'd seen her since the party on Sunday evening and I knew I'd really hurt her.
Breakfast. Pretty quiet. No sign of Philippa, Aidan, Dawn. No sign of the blonde waitress, Lucy Harlesden. No hot plate. Just Paul, the...
I suppose I should have paid more attention to the signs around me, for Philippa seemed flustered and in a hurry to leave when she woke, like she couldn't wait to get away. And later, when I headed to the communal bathroom, I caught sight of the mentor Dawn staring at me with such hostility, it scared me. That was the first time I'd seen her since the party on Sunday evening and I knew I'd really hurt her.
Breakfast. Pretty quiet. No sign of Philippa, Aidan, Dawn. No sign of the blonde waitress, Lucy Harlesden. No hot plate. Just Paul, the...
#relationships
#mystery
#obsession #risk
#obsession #risk
162 reads
2 Comments
Silent, The Girlfriend (1)
Two Years Ago, Gavin
Someone was knocking on my door again. 'Gavin? Can you open the door, please? I need to talk to you.'
'Go away, Philippa.'
'I'm so sorry about earlier. Aidan and I aren't going out. Aidan always gets the wrong impression and thinks girls are interested in him when they're not. He has serious issues. Please open the door. I need to talk to you.' She sounded just like Lucy a few minutes earlier.
Eventually, the door knocking got too much, so I jumped out of bed and answered. 'I nearly got battered because of you,' I said,...
Someone was knocking on my door again. 'Gavin? Can you open the door, please? I need to talk to you.'
'Go away, Philippa.'
'I'm so sorry about earlier. Aidan and I aren't going out. Aidan always gets the wrong impression and thinks girls are interested in him when they're not. He has serious issues. Please open the door. I need to talk to you.' She sounded just like Lucy a few minutes earlier.
Eventually, the door knocking got too much, so I jumped out of bed and answered. 'I nearly got battered because of you,' I said,...
#relationships
#mystery
#obsession #risk
#obsession #risk
143 reads
6 Comments
Silent, A Tense Encounter (2)
Two Years Ago, Gavin
Too much. Jace, Steve, Aidan howling like a child, and now the girl in the hood shouting at me too. I pretended I needed the toilet and climbed through the window space again, cutting my finger on the nail, conscious of the hoodie screaming more obscenities after me from inside the building. It was pretty light outside, breezy but muggy. My heart was hammering in my chest. I tiptoed round the back and climbed over a fence, tearing through hedges and branches on all fours, into a field, my jeans and trainers getting plastered with mud, my hands getting stung...
Too much. Jace, Steve, Aidan howling like a child, and now the girl in the hood shouting at me too. I pretended I needed the toilet and climbed through the window space again, cutting my finger on the nail, conscious of the hoodie screaming more obscenities after me from inside the building. It was pretty light outside, breezy but muggy. My heart was hammering in my chest. I tiptoed round the back and climbed over a fence, tearing through hedges and branches on all fours, into a field, my jeans and trainers getting plastered with mud, my hands getting stung...
#mystery
#obsession
#risk
175 reads
4 Comments
Silent, A Tense Encounter (1)
Two Years Ago, Gavin
It was awful. I kept trying to leave, but each time I walked to the empty window space, Jace or Steve got me in a friendly headlock and sat me down again while the hoodie cackled in the corner, muttering before laughing out loud. I couldn't believe I'd tried to help Jace the previous night when he'd done his stupid walk along the sea railing. I should have let him fall into the water.
Meanwhile, Philippa and Aidan were bickering in another corner of the building. Aidan rolling around on the ground and crying like a little kid. Throwing up everywhere...
It was awful. I kept trying to leave, but each time I walked to the empty window space, Jace or Steve got me in a friendly headlock and sat me down again while the hoodie cackled in the corner, muttering before laughing out loud. I couldn't believe I'd tried to help Jace the previous night when he'd done his stupid walk along the sea railing. I should have let him fall into the water.
Meanwhile, Philippa and Aidan were bickering in another corner of the building. Aidan rolling around on the ground and crying like a little kid. Throwing up everywhere...
#mystery
#obsession
#risk
198 reads
6 Comments
Silent, A Disclosure (2)
Two Years Ago, Gavin
I skipped dinner, unable to face Dawn after last night. I managed to persuade Veronica to sell me a sandwich and some crisps from the light refreshment counter, and I ate the snacks alone in my room. I thought a bit more about the Lucy girl. It all seemed mad and over the top, although plausible to a point…the whole thing of the former Mayor chasing after her…not exactly normal. I slipped on some clothes that were less scruffy than the ones I'd been wearing. I had a shave. Prepped back my hair with gel. Nice one. Yes! I brushed my teeth. Imagined kissing...
I skipped dinner, unable to face Dawn after last night. I managed to persuade Veronica to sell me a sandwich and some crisps from the light refreshment counter, and I ate the snacks alone in my room. I thought a bit more about the Lucy girl. It all seemed mad and over the top, although plausible to a point…the whole thing of the former Mayor chasing after her…not exactly normal. I slipped on some clothes that were less scruffy than the ones I'd been wearing. I had a shave. Prepped back my hair with gel. Nice one. Yes! I brushed my teeth. Imagined kissing...
#mystery
#obsession
#risk
168 reads
4 Comments
DU Poetry : Long Poems About Risk