Poetry is Painless 2

	
By Chandima Nethisinghe


1.	Pink bra, Lemonade, Cellulite and Selotape
2.	The World Owes Me
3.	Commitment Phobic Man
4.	Lazing gourmet
5.	We were sassy, sexy and falling down
6.	Drunk Driver
7.	Mr Henry
8.	Race War
9.	Torture
10.	My Mum
11.	Riot
12.	I Need...





Pink bra, Lemonade, Cellulite and Selotape


 
Pink bra, Lemonade, Cellulite and Selotape
Stretch marks, Mini Skirt, Stockings, I'm Running Late
Sunglasses, Spag Bol, Microwave, Spinning Plate
Phone Call, Perfume, Mirror Glance, I have a date
Watchstrap, Hairbrush, Lipstick, He'll have to wait
Spill Juice, Running tap, Cleaned up, In a state
Taxi hoot, Sit back, Enjoy the ride, Expensive rate
Cinema, Huge queue, Wave back, Prefer his mate
 


The World Owes Me

 

Chorus:
The world owes me
In stickle bricks
And penny sweets
In weebles
And in weekend treats
Because the world
Cannot replace
My innocence

Pretty pink summer dress
Well it was 7 days ago
When my mother left
Abandoned me in my own mess

Bruises hidden up
In blankets
In the dark dark attic
Where I'm told to shut up

A tap a hit.  
I deserved it
A touch a smack 
I asked for that

White cotton, virginal
Not after filthy hands tainted it.
Regressed memories  
Leave me suicidal


 
Commitment Phobic Man


Had a date the other night
I thought that it had all gone OK
But the guy nearly died of fright
When I asked if he was free Friday

Another commitment phobic man
How come I always manage to pick them
Yet another commitment phobic man
I said "see you tomorrow", and then he ran

Been seeing this guy called Matt
I thought that he really was the one
Moved my toothbrush to his flat
But the next morning he was gone

Another commitment phobic man
How come I always manage to pick them
Yet another commitment phobic man
I said "lets move in together" and then he ran

I've be waiting for seven years
For Tim to propose to me
He knows it'll only end in tears
If he doesn't agree to matrimony

Another commitment phobic man
How come I always manage to pick them
Yet another commitment phobic man
I said "lets get married" and then he ran

Me and my commitment phobic man
The future together seems a blur
At least we don't have to plan
Or think of all the costs we could incur
 



Lazing gourmet


 
lying down and stirring
stirring his heart and his soul
the smell of wine and thyme wrapped around the windows
of his bare bony body
staring inanely at a cake rising and falling bubbling 
and forming in a superspeed oven with a caress of 
kindness and childhood oozing from its vents.
the velvet cuddled up to him in a way that reminded him 
of the love he had lost aged 12 in a hotel resort in 
Spain when his parents had teased him about having a 
girlfriend and they drifted apart on an argument 
about UFOs.
raw to cooked 
burning and saucy 
fragrant yet putrid in consistency.
All ready for devouring
yet the couch seemed like the place to rest a while.
 



We were sassy, sexy and falling down

 

We were sassy, sexy and falling down
Our shoes didn't seem to like the ground
Stiletto heels splattered in mud
We'd walk in flats if we could

But fashion's far more important
Than something like protecting our backs
We'd rather fall flat on the ground
Than walk around in flats

We were sassy, sexy and falling down
Our shoes didn't like the floor
Thigh length boots with 3 1/2 inch heels 
Some heels were even more

Steps and cracks in the pavement
They're just an obstacle course
We would wear flats, honest,
But they'd be much much worse
 



Drunk Driver

 

Through the haze of alcoholic tears
I speed away from you
We'd been together for years
Can't believe we're through

In the darkness of the night
I wish that you were dead
Up ahead a traffic light
Turns from amber into red

Can't say I didn't see her
Cos I did, yes I did
Saw her fly in through my windscreen
Can't say I didn't hear her
Cos I did, yes I did
Heard the shattering glass and then heard her scream

Thinking back on the vodkas and wine
And whatever else I drank
When I got in the car I felt fine
But now I just feel rank

The girl's hair's flopping in my eye
Her blood decorates my dashboard
I sit behind my wheel and cry
Over all the drinks I had poured

Can't say I didn't see her
Cos I did, yes I did
Saw her fly in through my windscreen
Can't say I didn't hear her
Cos I did, yes I did
Heard the shattering glass and then heard her scream

My seatbelt's tight around my waist
In the back of my throat
There's a bitter taste
I search for my mobile inside my coat

I sit and shiver, surrounded by diamonds of glass
Waiting for the police to show
Oh fuck, oh shit, oh piss, oh arse
It's all your fault that she's dead now.

Can't say I didn't see her
Cos I did, yes I did
Saw her fly in through my windscreen
Can't say I didn't hear her
Cos I did, yes I did
Heard the shattering glass and then heard her scream
 



Mr Henry

 

Mr Henry
You could never imagine what I've been through
It's a miracle I survived
Three days lying staring on up at the sky
Along side my sister who'd died

Now, Mr Henry 
Did I mention that the roof had collapsed
And had fallen upon us all
All around me people had been squashed to death
And I didn't have the strength to call

But, Mr Henry
You must listen on now, as I tell you
How my hip had been hit 
And I couldn't get up but I could just about spit 
Out onto my sister's lips

She looked alive for a long time you see
Mr Henry, so I hoped that if I kept them moist
She might awake
We had no water, so my saliva was the 
only solution to take

But after 2 days Mr Henry
In the darkenss and the gloom
My throat got dry
So I just laid back thinking to myself
I'll stay here until I die

But on the 3rd day I got rescued from
That place with the stench of death all around
I managed to get away 
The memories of the war haunt me 
But Mr Henry that is why I'm here with you today
 


 
Race War

 

If there were a race war
Which side would I run for
Who could I support?
Where would I fit in?
You can't sit on the fence
For something this immense

Sometimes I forget what colour I am.
My skin is just like the clothes 
that hang on my body every day 
in a carefully selected, yet irrelevant way.

Your body, photocopier paper white 
is sometimes the string for 
my brown paper package, a stark contrast.  
Other times I forget. 

Out with friends our skins combine
And after a few too many beers and wines
We merge together, one community, one person
One lifeform, the same.

Together we are beautiful
Yet the colour of our skins
stalks our doors
Differences pile up, leading to wars.
 


 
Torture

 

Held down by his wrists
Against the floor
He couldn't escape
That was for sure
He squirmed and fought
But to no avail
As down his chest
I dragged my nails

Eyes sore and red
Stare back at mine
Sweat and tears
Made his body shine
Biting his lip
He refused to kiss
But my tongue
He couldn't resist

He wanted torture
He wanted pain
Enough to make him
Go insane
He'd asked for it
I gave him plenty
So why does it 
Leave me feeling empty
 


 
My Mum

 

She is selfless
Always thinking of others
From the morning when she wakes up 
Till she goes to bed late at night.  
She is caring and giving
Doesn't think about herself much
Always thinks of others first.
In the morning she gets her wake up call
Steps out to wake us all up
Reminding us we'll be late
Dresses like superman, ready in 5 minutes
Doesn't even have time to put on makeup
Lays out the breakfast and shouts 
'Do you know what time it is'
She watches, as we down our hot chocolates
Ready to jump into the car
And speed us off at one hundred miles an hour
To school.
After this she endures the traffic jam
On the motorway.  
Wondering why people get so irate
She stays calm and patient.  
Till she reaches work.
Here she mothers thousands of children
She's teaches them 
Through her instructions to their parents
Tells them to behave
Hearing aids and stroppy brats 
Patiently testing their ears
She hardly has time to stop for food 
Or even a cup of tea.
Rushes back down the motorway
To pick us up from school
Waiting for ages while we distracted, 
Forget the time
Finally home she asks how her husband is
Makes a pot of tea and sits for a break
The break doesn't last long
For pretty soon
She has to be deciding what's for diner
And chopping the veg
Then she dashes off to learn Spanish
Or dance the tango
Or something to improve her skills in some way
She comes back exhausted or frustrated
At the lack of time she has to practice
But it's still up to her
To slave over the cooker
With no help from no one
She presents her family with a gourmet meal
For four.
She thinks we don't appreciate 
All the hard work she does.
But really, we do.
 



Riot

 

You're making them think what 
we think they think about us
What was your reasoning behind it
You're only making it worse

Fed up of being quiet
Had to get it out of your system
Join all the yobs in the riot
And cause destruction and mayhem

I always thought we were civil
And that things could be worked out
But it turns out everyone's evil
And fighting and smashing up shops

You're better than them
Or you have to pretend to be
It isn't the solution
Destroying peoples property

Where has your civility gone
You're giving us a bad name
Can't you see you're doing wrong
and causing all this pain

The police will fight back
You know you have no rights
And because you're a lighter shade of black
You shouldn't have started the fight

You should know that violence
wont get you far
You can't spray them with CS gas
And kick them all 
 

 

I Need...

 

I need a man
I need somone
To show me where to go
And what to do next with my life

I need a lot
I need it all
I want more than I need
But that's what happens eventually

I need a friend
I need a fary tale ending
With a evil wicked witch
Dying painfully at the end.

I need what I can't have
I need brain surgery
I need a facial
Manicures save the day