Stories

Poem 460 – Let Me Paint You a Picture

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The other night we gathered.
Not around a fire like
our predecessors but
around the table with
the plan of telling tales.

We started with the story
of our days. We shared frustrations
our triumphs, hopes and dreams;
wielding brushes to paint
the scene we wanted seen.

And then our make-believe.
A painting of a haunted house
investigated by
our alter-egos, bravely
searching for the truth.

Its strange, but when I hang
these portraits side by side,
there’s no denying that
the brushstrokes are the same.
Two different worlds connected.

Today the news, more stories.
A splash of colour here
a daub of darkness there,
all vying for opinion,
surreal, unreal or real?

Stories within stories.
Landscapes created by
our conflict. Colours clash
and mix, until we find
some truth emerging from them.

What is truth? I suspect that’s the question of our age. I’m increasingly aware of how we reveal and hide the truth within the stories that we tell.
(20.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Ahmed Raza Kz on Unsplash

Poem 331 – Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover

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My grandmother gave me the tales of Robin Hood;
it’s still safe on my bedroom shelf.
I had to stop it from being thrown away
and cried when Robin shot his final arrow.

It’s still safe on my bedroom shelf,
this small green book that appears nondescript and harmless.
I cried when Robin shot his final arrow
but I suspect others wouldn’t give it a second look.

This small green book appears nondescript and harmless,
but it’s always been a foundational story for me.
I suspect others wouldn’t give it a second look,
but it has subtly shaped the way I see the world.

It’s always been a foundational story for me,
I had to stop it from being thrown away.
My grandmother shaped the way I see the world,
through giving me the tales of Robin Hood.

Inspired by Pádraig Ó Tuama, I decided to try another pantoum, a poem made up of right lines repeated with a strict pattern. The lines can be tweaked to make them flow better.
(23.10.24)

© Ben Quant 2024

Poem 305 – Four Magic Words

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Some talk of those three magic words.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, and best
when followed by another two:
‘I love you’ echoed by, ‘You too.’

There are four more, their simplicity
childlike and plain, a single breath.
They too are words of promise pledged
to travel forwards hand in hand.

These words are words of invitation,
come let’s explore new worlds together;
four doors of glorious imagination,
opening, ‘Once upon a time’.

Looking back over some of my first poems, I thought today I might rework ‘Poem 12 – Magic Words‘ from 20.10.22 into a more regular metre.
(27.09.24)

© Ben Quant 2024
Photo by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash