My Novel Life

My Novel Life

A Poem by John Alexander McFadyen
"

Where we are today is full of memories often long forgotten.

"

My Novel Life

Swans in dog collars,

feathers turned black

from the oil spills

of too many sins,

herded me into my youth;

they had me making incense infused incantations.

But the sewer rats of Glasgow,

with their blades and skinhead cuts,

dancing to A Clockwork Orange

and slashing the faces of the Celtic faithful,

made me abandon belief.

I saw the insincerity of worship too.

So many who were Christian

but only on Sunday,

hollow souls of wax.

I learned disappointment, resentment and anger.

And that anger has stayed,

haunted my anxiety,

left me weak, as the blood of trust

and childhood, fairytale hope,

seeped from my veins.

Nineteen-eighty-four came and went

and I was never a Swallow or an Amazon.

More Crusoe, abandoned on an island

bereft of reason,

starved of meaning and searching for

any passing ship that would take me home,

away from the damned flies.

Those damned flies!

The unrest, the social collapse

of civilisation.

And so I yearned for Simon's serene open space

full of aromatic bushes and flowers,

until he died, a beast.

I longed to end Piggy's pain,

and I fell with him to the sand

where a long sleep awaited.

When I awoke on the gurney

the world was empty,

apart from the blind

and of course John Wyndham's

killer plants.

I tried so hard to climb the Matterhorn

to rise above the clouds

but the dark deceit of Maclean's  Ice Station

froze my heart.

Until I washed up on Chesil Beach

thinking love and romance were real.

But McEwan wouldn't let me believe

as he wrung out the dirty laundry.

So decades of sinking and sinking again,

and trying to squeeze the sponge dry

of transgressions have left their mark,

and now I still live in the shadow of the crow,

and Black Dogs make me fearful.

 

14/07/17

© 2017 John Alexander McFadyen


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Featured Review

What a literary journey- a coming of age chronicled in your epic "Novel Life" John! Killer imagery- "sewer rats of Glasgow, with their blades and skinhead cuts, dancing to A Clockwork Orange"...Harry Chapin did it for music. You did it for books...Bravo!

Posted 6 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you so very much Annette.



Reviews

Well, hail hail my friend. (If you know what I mean) :)
This is brilliant. Lots have tried to describe west of Scotland sectarianism to the world, yet I havent read any say it so well. Try explaining to America, Canada etc our religions are played out on football pitches and our hatred on the terraces, and you wonder quite why we have such a good repution with the world.
Thankfully, my parents just shrugged and let me make up my own mind. When religion can be this crazy, its easy to understand why I opted out.
Superb.

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Aye Lorry indeed they were here! Religion, especially Catholicism has much to answer for. I too vote.. read more
We are the sum of what we have read - a bit of truth there and its always interesting to look at someone's bookcase. You've made a good and very witty job of mashing all these novel references together. Finding out what makes us tick is a trickier job and I can't even manage myself.
A good and original effort,
Regards,
Alan

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Ah Thanks Alan. All of these novels played a part in my thinking and psyche.
This a cascade of literary references, finely spun, full of surprises and excellent imagery ; I really like this,
so to paraphrase..reader..read it !

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you so very much Leslie. Tis a true tale; more or less!
amazing writing...such beautiful piece

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you so very much Apoorva.
you bring back so many fearful memories...the demise of what we were...
A Clockwork Orange...saw that when it came out and said, God if the world ever gets like this we are in trouble....well, i hear the fat lady singing.
singing in the rain...just singing in the rain.

j.

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you for being in touch with this one Jacob.
What a literary journey- a coming of age chronicled in your epic "Novel Life" John! Killer imagery- "sewer rats of Glasgow, with their blades and skinhead cuts, dancing to A Clockwork Orange"...Harry Chapin did it for music. You did it for books...Bravo!

Posted 6 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you so very much Annette.
some deep thoughts here john,i enjoyed the journey through your mind

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Many thanks Ron.
This truly is a fine, fine meld of your words and books that mark a great literary decade or two from the past past. I don't know if this a unique concept but it's high quality writing, John.

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you so much for your kind review Emma.
I did like this poem.
"and now I still live in the shadow of the crow,
and Black Dogs make me fearful."
You led the reader on a epic journey with a logical ending. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry my friend.
Coyote

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Many thanks Coyote.
Coyote Poetry

6 Years Ago

You are welcome John.
Each gem in this exquisite piece throws up so many memories of my own life-hood. You penned a generation, timelessly here John.

Posted 6 Years Ago


John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Thank you so much Tony. This is close to my bones. I have rewritten it a little since you read it an.. read more
Tony Jordan

6 Years Ago

I honestly was going to include a 'congrats' in the review for being able to keep it so concise. I k.. read more
John Alexander McFadyen

6 Years Ago

Failed again, doh!

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Added on July 14, 2017
Last Updated on July 15, 2017

Author

John Alexander McFadyen
John Alexander McFadyen

Brixworth, England, United Kingdom



About
Well, have a long and complicated story and started it as an autobiography on Bebo but got writer's block/memory fogging. People liked it though and kept asking for the next chapter! fools.. more..

Writing