Sculpture by Gary Rogers (curator Runnymede Gallery)

This is an experimental sculpture by Gary Rogers, the artist who painted the amazing portrait that became the cover of my recently published poetry collection, ‘Random’.

I have used it as a prompt for the following rant – which will eventually be fashioned into a poem. here is the first draft:-

Reap what is Sown

The truth about you,
your fine slim nose,
warm toffee eyes
fringed by soft black lashes
of impossible length,
winning smile,
persuasive, inclusive –
the truth about you is
a scream of anguish
from black-tunnelled depths.

Now I see, when I look at you,
when it can’t be avoided, now,
all I see is

Eye sockets, emptied,
blinded by arrogance;
curls of skin, hacked
loose by cuts of your lies;
razor lips drawn in
howls of jealousy;
Bone-deep holes burned
by paranoia; good
looks ruined by duplicity,
poverty of spirit.

You are uglier than terror,
brackish flesh flayed by
thoughtlessness,
faithlessness,
spite.
No
Dorian-esque
magic is strong enough
to hide the awfulness of you.