Stuffed

Wednesday 26th January 2011 6:58 pm

They were no less than stately homes;

visitors welcome within reason.

Lovingly sculptured landscape gardens

wreathed the facades of baroque bedlams

just far away enough.

The learned pages of medical journals

were stuffed with architectural theories

opining how external magnificence

would raise the oppressed

spirits of the mad.

Yet what palace can agreeably

cater for thousands?

The spaceless dormitories

burst with the fetid odour

of a blistered and purged humanity.

A hollow laughter tolled time

for those marooned

behind the Ha-Ha walls.

You've stood this side of them at the zoo:

forbiddingly tall to the occupant,

low enough for the visitor

to view unrestrictedly.

A sign requests that you refrain

from feeding the animals.

There are people specially trained

to do that.

Comments

Marianne Louise Daniels

Thu 27th Jan 2011 12:39

i love the last stanza. excellent poem.

Ray Miller

Thu 27th Jan 2011 11:17

Thanks for the comments.

Philipos.It's a fascinating subject to me. There really was a belief that the splendour of the old asylums would raise the spirits of the inmates.Appearances and reality, eh? Can a sign not request?

Elaine. It's nice to see one's subtleties noticed! Ta.

Ann. At my age, a measured pace and dignity means everything.

Isobel. These days there isn't even a pretence to external magnificence!

Jules. I'm talking about the old asylums. What do you think I'm talking about?

<Deleted User> (8730)

Thu 27th Jan 2011 09:59

I like the line spirits of the mad, for a while I thought you were referring to a psychiatric hospital. I'll post The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum soon

Isobel

Thu 27th Jan 2011 08:48

Some social problems are impossible to solve. Within 'madness' I suppose there are all kinds of levels from temporary to deep and irreversible - housing all those levels appropriately being impossible. Care in the community would only work if the community was caring - loneliness being a large factor in mental illness, I would imagine.

Your poem reflects very well the old style asylum where on the surface things are fine but not beyond.

Ann Foxglove

Wed 26th Jan 2011 23:13

I like this a lot. I like the measured pace, it has a dignity about it. As I suspect you are trying to give dignity to these poor souls. Good poem!

Elaine Booth

Wed 26th Jan 2011 20:46

Very thought-provoking, Ray. I particularly liked the first verse: "visitors welcome within reason" with the play on the word reason - very good.

Philipos

Wed 26th Jan 2011 20:02

Hi Ray - I live in a house built in the former grounds of an asylum fortunately they kept the main Victorian building as a heritage refurb - your poem reminds us not only of our social history but the appalling treatment of inmates' echoes as in one flew over the cuckoo's nest - the fetid odour a vivid and haunting image of the past

In your last stanza you say 'A sign requests' instead of 'suggests' or 'indicates' which some might say is more accurate - always difficult with signs I know

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