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Monday 5 December 2011

The Green Graffitist

His first graffito, "Rape"
(all will be given names)
a modest scene
beneath a railway arch:
reclining nude
morphed to rural idyll.
Mammary, the hills
vaginal lake
and thrusting motor way.
Crude. Unambiguous.

The last spray not yet dry,
a woman comes from nowhere
whispers in his ear -
before the darkness
swallows her once more.

He takes a brush -
a few sharp hairs -
and adds a line, a shape
a woman being raped
though so diminutive
that only he
will ever know
of her existence.
Unnoticed rape!

A quick developer
his works gain power
with every outing.
Soon she becomes
the factor
common to each one
grows strong
in features
personality
and temperament.

So now
he always adds
the figures.
Always two.
A man and woman.
Always small
too small to register
to careless eyes:
his signature.

Until
one night
he cracks it.
"Seascape"
will become
his first
graffito
time
will raise
to level uno:
call iconic.
Dolphins
caught in mats
of ocean garbage:
fishnets
plastic lines -
all human detritus.
And even as he sprays
the final empty space
she comes -
so briefly -
from the darkness
whispers in his ear
then lets the night
devour her
once again.

He adds his signature:
this time
a crouching man
trussed and bound
a woman towers
over him.
And both
as always
are too small to see
from way below
where people pass.

"Rain Forest
Torched" comes next
and once again
the final touch
and there she is.
The whisper in his ear
and back into the night.
But now the change.
This time he follows her.
This time
he too, will disappear
into the night.

Next day
they find him
sagging at the knees
supported by a post,
just a tar
and charcoal likeness
of himself.
Half corpse
half tree
black branches
sprouting out of him.

His face
is black
quite featureless.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is quite dark and forboding Dave.

Well done.

kaykuala said...

Dave,
Brave writing this! Graffiti has always been an attraction. It may be found at 'fun' places but there is a lot of humour built around it.

Hank

Mary said...

Whew! This poem takes a reader on quite a journey. The ending definitely took me by surprise!

haricot said...

This boy's soul seems to have scarecely survived, while his fresh has almost gone...
His soul has still erose and young libido that is represented by green.

Brian Miller said...

wow dave...this guy is breathing fumes...i love graffiti personally and like finding new urban art..left mearly a shadow, i feel that...

Sheila said...

Brilliant, suspenseful and all around entertaining.

Kass said...

...wonderfully rich, strong, narrative poem here.

Helen said...

Dave, your talent is beyond amazing. This is overwhelming in the best way!

Bijaylaxmi said...

I like the poem though it's quite gloomy.. I think portrays an indistinct picture of some grief in subconscious plane..

Old Raven said...

OMG ... ! For some reason this reminds me of some of the more recent (2001 - guess it is not so recent) BBC crime series I have watched ... their filming is graphic, cold, naked, taught.

Anonymous said...

Dave, this is a true ghost story. Graffiti artists are often shades in the night (although half of them also huff the fumes). This is a true artist, tangled up in, and finally lost to, his muse. Real muscle in this! Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/the-day-i-saw-an-angel-fly-lyrics/

Dave King said...

Jane
Yes, agreed. It is dark.

kaykuala
Yes, I think I can go along with this.

Mary
Thanks for the comment.

haricot
Well green was meant to represent his commitment to environmental issues.

Brian
I, too, have an interest in urban art, responsibly done. Thanks for the comment.

Sheila
Thank you so much. Very grateful for your response.

Kass
Thank you, a very helpful comment.

Helen
Thank you so much. Good to know you enjoyed it.

Bijaylaxmi
Hi, welcome to the blog. Thank you very much for a most helpful comment.

Old Raven
I think I know the one you may have in mind. I actually didn't have the end in mind until I got to it, so there may have been an influence. Thanks for saying.

sharplittlepencil
Hi, really good to have you visitng, and thank you so much for a very valuable contribution.

Tom said...

nice...i really like this, and his journey into the dark arts and beyond. hmmm...what is beyond?