Yes, I thought

‘I don’t do walking in other peoples footsteps’ she said.
Yes, I thought you would rather struggle in the sand
with each step oozing backwards and down
like an escalator in reverse.

‘I don’t do removing my shoes; they make me small’ she said.
Yes, I thought you would rather stumble on tip-toe
making tiny heel pin pricks in the floor
like a host of unruly polka dots.

‘I don’t do unnecessary pills; they make me fat’ she said.
Yes, I thought you would rather go red in the face
and drop to the floor
like a lump of hot lard from a frying slice.

‘I don’t do proper food; it gives me spots’ she said.
Yes, I thought you would rather lather your face
with frothy make-up, thick as concrete
like a badly plastered wall.

By DiH


The first line of this poem came to my whilst walking the dog on the beach and I think it is still a work in progress. I like the work because (I hope) it says as much about the narrator, the voice of the work, as it does about the person (people) being discussed. I would like to do more with this perhaps add some 'he said' lines as well. I think the last line works well (like a) although I can't remember the proper term for saying something is 'like a' - can someone let me know.

Any readers greatly appreciated.
Any views greatly appreciated.

Di