Being Someone Else

by Paul Waring

Saturday 8th April 2017 11:39 am

I'm wearing

someone else's smile

teeth that don't fit

in this mouth

that can't speak.

I'm not OK. OK?

don't ask me anything else

because I'm not myself

I don't know why,

I couldn't say.

I'm striding

around town, out of step

in someone else's shoes,

laughing clown's feet

that don't fit my mood.

I'm driving

someone else's car

on the wrong side of the road

going round the bend

meeting myself coming back.

I'm feeling

someone else's pain

it's more than mine

it's all in the mind

I picked up by mistake.

please don't ask me

again today because

I'm just not myself

I'm busy, too busy

being someone else.

Comments

Paul Waring

Sat 8th Apr 2017 23:34

Good evening David, I was typing my previous response so long (with one eye on Match of the Day) that you managed to post your comment in the mean time!

Thank you so much, your interpretations could all help explain the piece. My intention was to write a distressing fantasy about a person who becomes somebody else (who is quite dysfunctional) and are distressed because they know what's happening to them but have no control.

Over-active imagination? Guilty as charged your honour ?

Paul

Edit. David, just read your previous comment, no problem, I found it a really interesting point.

Paul Waring

Sat 8th Apr 2017 22:41

Cynthia, thank you...lovely as ever to read your comments.

Col, what an adventure-filled day you've had, with a touch of daring-do (so says Daring Waring). Beware! Sat night tv is the devil in disguise ?. Hope you've had chance to relax and find yourself now! And thanks so much for the praise.

Paul

<Deleted User> (13762)

Sat 8th Apr 2017 20:16

I drove up the wrong side of the road today. Was looking for the VW garage after a long cycle ride in the Swansea sun. Turned out to be a Skoda and Seat garage now. They'd moved the Vdubs across town which was annoying as we'd cycled near to it earlier on. So we drove across town and the nice woman served us hot chocolates and we apologised for looking so scruffy and could we use your loo please to wash our oily hands before sitting in the manager's ex-demo runaround that was in reality a bit more than we wanted to spend and no we don't have a hard copy brochure for that model but I can email one if you like. I also cycled in the pedestrian lane a few times but only to frighten the little kiddies on scooters. Paul, why is Saturday TV so bad? Great poem.
All the best,
Mr Someone Else

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Sat 8th Apr 2017 18:26

Very interesting premise, well developed. A good take on the 'I'm just not myself to-day' syndrome, so commonly flipped out.

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Being Someone Else

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