Summer Holiday by apsara - WriteWords.org.uk

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Summer Holiday

by apsara

Posted: 26 January 2006
Word Count: 62
Summary: Not sure if this is the complete - it could be the beginning of something longer - but have I already made my point?

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Tourists have the Midas touch
what they turn to gold they turn to dust.
Cries of wonder fade frescoes,
fingertips wear stone.
Sensibly clad feet beat paths
through forest groves.
The boats that bring them
bring employment
but anchors hack off coral,
bone white on the shore.
Hotels rise and rivers die.
And behind the air-conditioned bungalows
piles of plastic bottles grow.

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joanie at 17:26 on 26 January 2006 Report this post

Hi apsara. This must be a recent experience, surely. The opening lines are excellent; very thought-provoking. However, I quite like the fact that 'fingertips wear stone'; the smoothed, shiny, recessed parts of the stone are very tactile and tell of years of loving caresses, I think.

Very sad, but we have to consider whether we are playing a part by being there; if you weren't able to comment because you hadn't seen this, the problem would be less!

I enjoyed this - it really made me think! There is a lot in here.

joanie

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Account Closed at 10:35 on 28 January 2006 Report this post

Very thought-provoking. I enjoyed it very much. To me, it seemed complete in itself. I might try irregular stanzas to echo the movement though? - such as:

Tourists have the Midas touch;
what they turn to gold they turn to dust.
Cries of wonder fade frescoes,
fingertips wear stone.
Sensibly clad feet beat paths
through forest groves.

The boats that bring them
bring employment
but anchors hack off coral,
bone white on the shore.

Hotels rise and rivers die.
And behind the air-conditioned bungalows
piles of plastic bottles grow.

I did particularly love the sense of filmic movement in this - from the focus on tourists, then outward to the boats, then out again and deeper to the hotels.

Lovely!

A
xxx

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Shika at 07:19 on 04 February 2006 Report this post

Hi Apsara

This reminds me of those countries that we like to visit even though we know they'll be worse off afterwards. Very realistic. S

Read the WriteWords interview with Emmanuella Dekonor (Shika)

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