Gary Radice | + Follow Poet |
Rhyme | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

Notes About The Poem

Originally published: 29th September 2019

Image by LIMAT MD ARIF from Pixabay

This Poem was placed 1st in the "STRAND CHOICE 12" Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand (Judged 29th February 2020)

---

 

Fog

I kept on the grass
Away from the road
There was silence wherever I walked.

My school balaclava
Covered my head
And I “smoked” whenever I talked.

Assembled that morning
We'd sung about Jesus
And I prayed I was on the right track.

As the freezing cold mist
Invaded my senses
I met myself coming back.

I heard a cough
And it got louder
A figure with torch and dog

Appeared from nowhere
Through the blanket
Of that 1960s’ fog.

Please Login to post a comment

Terry Miller Date: 1/6/2022 6:36:00 AM Extremely well-crafted poem congratulations. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/6/2022 6:53:00 AM Thanks Terry your comments are very much appreciated. Cheers - Gary

Joanna Daniel Date: 1/5/2022 9:38:00 PM Oh yeah, love the fog anytime, it has a sense of mystical magic around it, well written, Gary, congratulations:) Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/6/2022 2:54:00 AM I agree about fog Jo - I love it too - Except when I'm driving :) Thanks Jo! Cheers - Gary

Connie Marcum Wong Date: 1/5/2022 7:25:00 PM Fog has such intricate mystery. I grew up navigating the fog on early mornings walking to school when we couldn’t see our hand in front of our face. I enjoyed your winning poem. Congratulations Gary, on your second placement. New year blessings xxoo Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/6/2022 3:01:00 AM Thanks Connie. That's the type of fog that I remember too. Exciting and mystical and..waiting for a poem to be written about it. :) Cheers - Gary

Mystic Rose Rose Date: 1/5/2022 7:04:00 PM What a great memory you shared here, congratulations on your winning poetry, Well done. :) Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/6/2022 3:06:00 AM Thank you Mystic. I can recall memories from childhood and describe how I remember them but ask me what I did last week and I'm struggling. :) Cheers - Gary

Terry Flood Date: 1/5/2022 3:23:00 PM Oh how I remember those fogs, you could actually taste them. Really like this Gary. Congrats on your win. Terry Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/6/2022 3:09:00 AM Hi Terry. Thanks for your comments. I can still taste them too..The burning of coal fires and smoke from chimneys probably didn't help but..."it never did us any harm." (And now I sound as old as the 60 year old that I am) :) Cheers - Gary

Jo Chamberlain Date: 1/5/2022 12:26:00 PM I remember as a child I absolutely loved the fog. I also loved breathing smoke in the bitter cold, like a dragon. Well penned. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/5/2022 12:42:00 PM When life was simple. Who needed a mobile phone when you could pretend to smoke? :) Cheers - Gary

Justin Clason Date: 1/5/2022 8:18:00 AM Very visual, great job Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/5/2022 9:05:00 AM Thank you Justin. Much appreciated. Cheers - Gary

Bryan Norton Date: 1/5/2022 8:12:00 AM Hi Gary, I liked this a lot. I could feel the misty morning. Good flow and rhyme. Take care, friend. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/5/2022 9:07:00 AM Hi Bryan! Thank you. I just shut my eyes and I was back walking through that sixties' fog. I just wrote what I imagined. :) Cheers - Gary

Brian Strand Date: 10/6/2021 12:27:00 AM Yes Gary,I remember those pea-soupers..before the clean-air act took hold Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 10/6/2021 12:39:00 AM Health aside I preferred the atmosphere of walking in pea soupers ..great atmosphere..droplets of ice, mist..ok..smoke but I just loved the silence and 'imagery'...I find more to write about bleakness than I do colour..it's more 'colourful. Cheers - Gary

Sam Kauffman Date: 3/30/2021 10:37:00 AM Life can be a "fog" oftentimes both walking through it and our lack of clarity. Love the "torch and the dog" - a light in our fog. You have created that sense of fog, "smoked when I talked" with a simplicity of image and story. Congrats and kudos on your win as the fog clears. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 3/30/2021 11:11:00 AM Thank you Sam for your very insightful comments. I really appreciate them. Cheers - Gary :)

David Kavanagh Date: 3/30/2021 2:13:00 AM I remember them fogs from my childhood too Gary, but I think it was more smog back then, I particularly like the line meeting yourself coming back, really brings clarity, to a somewhat spiritual ethereal poem, great piece of work, cheers David, oh and congratulations as well Login to Reply David Kavanagh Date: 3/30/2021 3:15:00 AM I was never picked up from school from the age of 6, come hail rain or snow, different times back then, besides I’d have missed all the scraps outside, ha Gary Radice Date: 3/30/2021 3:05:00 AM Thanks David. Yes..smog..remember that. This from a time when school allowed pupils to go home if there was a thick fog. I'm sure pupils had to be picked up by parents but I remember walking home by myself a few times so not sure how that worked. :) Cheers - Gary

Greg Gaul Date: 3/29/2021 4:37:00 PM Gary, this was cleverly crafted controlling the reader with manipulating time and with rich imagery. Masterful work here, congratulations. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 3/29/2021 10:43:00 PM Thanks Greg for your encouraging and kind words. I often 'go back" to childhood in my poems in an attempt to explore and understand how it has shaped me today. If that all sounds a bit deep and pretentious it's not meant to be. I had a very happy childhood and find it a great source for ideas. Cheers - Gary

Elaine George Date: 9/6/2020 4:08:00 AM You have a way of taking the reader with...I felt like I was there...could see it so vividly. You, a great writer, Gary! Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 9/6/2020 5:01:00 AM Thank you very much Elaine. I truly appreciate your feedback. I always set out to try and create an atmosphere in my poems so it was lovely to read your comments. Cheers - Gary

Line Gauthier Date: 2/22/2020 6:48:00 PM Well done, Gary. Love your poem. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 2/23/2020 4:57:00 AM Thanks Line. My attempt at placing focus both on the very thick fogs we had back in the '60s and also a child's 'fog of confusion'.

David Holmes Date: 10/12/2019 10:27:00 AM Gary, really enjoyed your poem, well done, especially this line: "And I “smoked” whenever I talked." DHolmes Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 10/12/2019 11:27:00 AM Thanks David. If there is one thing I associate with freezing fog as a child it was the Carbon Dioxide (and the desire to get home as quick as possible of course) Cheers Gary