NaPo WriMo: Day 5

Day 5 and I'm a little stuck. I've had a very long day today and a busy but exciting trip to London so my creative brain hasn't been screwed on as well as it should be (excuses excuses). So the conclusion is, I've written a poem, if you can call it that. It's got no rhythm which is what I've struggled with most today, but it's about a town I grew up near, Southend, and the things I remember about it. My most nostalgic memory is standing on the seafront between the Sealife Center and the Crazy Golf watching children eat sandwiches on the wall next to the sand. So here's a very rough, very scraty first draft of a general idea I have. Happy Poetry Writing Month!

We never heard the sea

I remember,

The taste of the salt,
At the back of my throat
The wind that would break
At the drum of my ear.

I remember,

The knots that would dance
And twist in my hair,
The gaps in my clothes
Where the wind would hide

I remember,

The walks on the seafront,
After a band,
The noise of the cars clashing
With the arcade machines

Though we never could hear the sea.

I remember,

The litter strewn sand,
The muddy tide,
The concrete walls
And the arching steps

I remember,

The crazy gold course,
And the Sealife centre,
The places we never went.
And the places we did.

I remember,

The big wheel,
And the smaller pier,
Rossi’s ice cream,
And the sticky toffee apples.

Though we never could hear the sea.

I remember,

The kids on the wall,
The grainy sandwiches,
The seagulls caw,
And the rotting wood.

I remember,

The unmoving boats,
Stuck in the mud,
The forgotten kisses
Still yet to be had.

I remember,

The smell of the donuts,
The climbing frames,
The two penny machines,
And the teddies to be won.

Though we never could hear the sea.

I think you can tell it needs a few drafts but it's harder to write about places you know!