Monday 28 March 2016

Poem / Old Blood, Young Teeth by Salena Godden










Old Blood and Young Teeth


A life is so short 

When you consider the age
Of the temples and cathedrals
Built with the faith and old blood of men
Who lived short lives and then died
In the name of their Gods and their Gods immortality
Consider the age of that gold Buddha
It is older than the crippled tree that was planted when it was erected
But younger than the river beneath it and the ocean oldest of all
And the years of the sun and the moon?
Who is eldest? The sun or the moon?
And the age of fire, how old is fire?
How old is water? Is rain older than flame?
And the teeth in your head are so young, my love
The teeth in your head are so young
The teeth in your head are so young compared to your brain
What thoughts your brain had before your teeth grew
And your old heart, how faithfully it beats, old timer
Your ears listened, heard you scream as that first tooth tore though
And the first thing your first tooth gnawed was your own finger
All of us, every one of us had to grow teeth last
Every one of us had to grow teeth last
So smile now, show me your young teeth
Smile and show us all your spring chicken tooth
Smile and let your first dream soar
Smile now and feel that love beat in your old chest 
And shine out of those big old eyes of yours
Your shiny old eyes in your old bone skull head 
But oldest of all is your old, old blood
Your blood is as old as time 
And I love you 
And I love every drop. 



(c) Salena Godden / 2016 


Note: This is the first draft of new work in progress, experimenting with film, sound and words.













June 23rd: Spoken Beat Night, Bimhuis, Amsterdam

June 29th: Soapbox Poetry, The John Peel Centre, Stowmarket

July 9th: The Roundhouse, Camden, London








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