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Best Poems Written by Paola Bradley

Below are the all-time best Paola Bradley poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

The Red Carpet

I sit rolled in a corner
Almost forgotten
Quietly ignored
Crimson velveteen tufts 
Densely packed
Underlay visible
Obscuring the majesty
Only ever ceremoniously unfurled
When dignitaries visit
The streets I cover
Usually covered in dust
Dirty and dank
Freshly cleaned
To impress and fool
In the fetid air
The tang of fresh paint
Dingy corners spruced
The homeless ushered away
Children beautifully laundered
Flowers lavishly garlanded
Overflowing bins emptied
So when I am laid out
And smart soles 
Tread on my blushing fibres
The illusion is complete
And with my presence
The bare truth hidden
Fleetingly…
Till they have gone
And I am rolled away
Then in my absence
The putrid decay 
Of real life resumes

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

My First Love

You captured my heart
Right from the first instant
Strong broad shoulders
Toned firm body
Lean and so tall
To me you seemed a giant
In stature and standing
But it was the details that got me
The small pulsing vein on your temple
Your mischievous knowing eyes 
Paved with tiny crinkles as you smiled
They stirred and warmed my soul
Your huge leathered hands
Capable of so much
But mine to hold
Your deep gentle voice
Every utterance precious 
You made me believe I was special
You made me believe I was beautiful
You made me believe I was invincible
You protected me
You adored me
You shaped me
I loved you
I worshipped you
I trusted you
I believed you
Now you are gone
You are far from forgotten
I see your legacy in the mirror
I hear myself saying your words
Doing things you would
The apple falls never far from the tree
My first love, my daddy

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

Fame

Like a coconut shy
The pedestal an invitation
To find fault
Topple and pillory
Fame the modern obsession
Fifteen minutes in the sun
Now the goal
Not a deserved byproduct
Earned through hard graft
Or god-given talents
Just the limelight
For its own sake
The insane dogged pursuit
Of chasing the dragon
For its addictive temporary high
To find it bites you
And swallows you whole

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

Growing Older

Hairline receding slightly
Waistline a little thicker
Gravity winning the battle
A few centimetres conceded
Even when walking proud
Hearing less acute
Necessitating the TV turned up loud
Eyes needing brighter light
Small print now a challenge
A world through four lenses 
No longer two, especially at night
Joints a little rustier
Movement less fluid 
Skin a little saggier
“Less firm” more polite
Settling in grooves and furrows
No longer snapping back
White and random hair sprouting
On head, from nose, in ears and on chin
The body the battleground scars of advancing years
A war we will never win
The mind and mood another matter
Age the superhero variable
Calmer, more sanguine
Experience and wisdom to the fore
A knowing wink and smile
Having done it, got the t shirt before
Random knowledge twinned with insight
TV quizzes a breeze
Navigating life’s necessary turbulence
With greater confidence and ease
Youth is not to envy
Advancing years we should embrace
The folly of the young
Firmly in the rear view mirror 
We stand as time flies past us
Knowing a more contented future awaits

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

Neighbours

We live side by side
In identical houses
Leading parallel lives
You in your home
Me in mine
I see you every day
Same place
Similar time
Different clothes
Fresh hair and make-up
We exchange pleasantries
The weather, family, health
Superficial details shared
The illusion of connectedness 
Furthered and maintained 
As we fill in random gaps
In the tapestry of our lives
We scurry away
Me back to my house
You back to yours
As the front door closes
I imagine your life 
And wonder fleetingly
Is it easier than mine?
Are you happy?
Are you more fulfilled?
Are your whites whiter?
Then I reimmerse myself in today
Thoughts of you set aside
For now at least
In the knowledge that tomorrow
The cycle will rinse and repeat
And our paths will cross again

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

Staycation

Borders shut, seclusion enforced
The lure of a sojourn abroad quashed
No palm fringed beaches
No foreign markets to explore
Nor historic sites to visit
Instead holidays take a different shape
Forced to define leisure closer to home
The break opportunity on our doorstep
Long overlooked treasures are noticed
Reasons why foreign tourists flock revealed
At our fingertips glorious lush countryside
Stately homes, museums, galleries 
Historic significance in every corner
Local restaurants in every flavour
Bed and board for every pocket
Amusement parks galore
The benefit of a common language
The only disappointment inclement weather
Adds dimension to dialogue
A national obsession we all partake in
No long flight back
No jet lag to contend with
This year we were force to realise
There is no place like home

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

The Match

I can hear my breath
Blood pounding in my ears
The tune too fast for comfort
My palms unhelpfully moist
Conversely my mouth bone dry
I feel unsteady on my feet
Will my knees give way?
I stifle a cough
All eyes on me
I hate the attention
Is my outfit appropriate?
Too showy, too plain?
Is my hair neat enough?
Do my eyes sparkle?
What do they see
When they look at me?
I feel like an animal
In a gilded cage
...In a market
Will they inspect my teeth?
Count my fingers and toes?
Do they care about my personality?
My desires, my aspirations?
Or do they just see a womb 
A cook, a cleaner, a nurse?
The families have conferred
Long ago it was settled
My fate and future decided
I have no say
I have no option
I have no way out
Oppression is duty
Repression a given
Self-conscious, anxious and resigned
My only hope for today
As I wait nervously
For him to appear
Is that the match made...
...is a good one.

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

Leaking You

Sometimes is it is the smallest detail
The inconspicuous that gives it away
The wrinkle at the corner of your eye
The slight curl on your lip
The altered tone in your voice
You try to hold it in
Keep the secret safe within
But your body betrays you
Leaking signs 
That contradict your conversation
Some may overlook
Others adept at perception
Will notice each incongruence
And turn it into an opportunity
To better match their offering
Consciously or unconsciously
Morphing their responses
To better suit your mood
And receptivity
With consumate ease
The dance of persuasion
A naked truth
Your cues beyond words
Leading your conclusion
Unknowingly
Unwittingly
The silent clues you broadcast
Responsible for your fate

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

Progress

The world turns
Button on fast forward
Staying still requires momentum
Obsolescence a recurring reality
Operating in today’s paradigm
Is is insufficient armour 
To fend tomorrow’s challenge
Each day we push a little further
Ten more metaphorical steps
Exercising parts otherwise dormant
Exploring new possibilities
Challenging ourselves
Not only to keep up
But to push forwards
And make progress
So when we lie on our pillows at night
We can relax with self-satisfaction
Knowing that we did our best
To keep up and forge forward
Never again to be left behind

Details | Paola Bradley Poem

The Break

Ironic that the break
Begat her break
Mousy brown
In the chorus line
Third row from the back 
Throwing envious glances
At the leading lady
All glory and accolades
Pirouettes and solos
Applause unbounded
Why not me?
That fateful night
A careless stumble 
Unsafe props
An unfortunate angle
Forcing a fracture
And exit stage left
An empty spotlight
Top billing wanting
The opportunity to step up
To transform and sparkle
And take centre stage
Though under the greasepaint
Her guilt barely disguised
Not pat superstition 
But sincerely said
The meteoric rise triggered
By her prophetic wish
To break a leg