This is a poem / short story that a wrote as part of an exercise set by Polar Bear in the first term, winter 09, that I took part in with the Roundhouse Poetry Collective
THE BOY WALKS THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC DOORS
TAKING NOTE OF THE WHITE STICKER'S ON BOTH DOORS,
THEY SAY "AUTOMATIC DOORS"
AS BOTH DOORS GO TO THE LEFT RIGHT REsPECTIVLY
THE PARTING OF THE DOORS LIKE THE PARTING OF THE SEAS
THE SMELL OF CHORLINE HITS HIS NOSE,
AND THE DISTANT NOISE OF ADOLESCANT SCREAMS
TICKLES HIS EARS DRUMS
DRESSED IN JEANS AND A JUMPER
THE JUMPER FAILING TO DISGUISE THE EXCESS WEIGHT ROUND HIS WAISTE
HARDLY THE ATTIRE OF A LESIURE CENTRE GOER
HE HEADS FOR THE YOUNG LADY AT THE RECEPTION DESK
THE LADY BEHIND THE DESK,
DRESSED,
IN A SPORTS POLO AND TRACKSUIT BOTTOMS,
ANSERWS THE BOYS REQUEST,
TO COMMANDEER THE SNOOKER TABLE FOR THE NEXT 2 HOURS
THE BOY COLLECTS,
THEN INSPECTS,
THE BLACK TRAY OF SPINNING BALLS,
2 QUES AND A BLOCK OF CHALK,
AS HIS PODGY FINGERS PART WITH HIS CASH
THE BOYS TAKES A GLANCE BACK,
TOWARDS THE ENTRENCE THEN HE DRAWS A DEEP BREATH
THE YOUNG LADY BEHIND RECEPTION,
THEN BEGINS TO ISSUE THE INSTRUCTIONS,
DIRECTING THE BOY TO THE SNOOKER ROOM
BUT BEFORE SHE HAS EVEN FINISHED,
THE BOY IS A QUATER OF THE WAY UP THE STAIRS
FACE CONCENTRATED LIKE A MAN ON A MISSION
HOLDING THE TRAY FULL OF SPINNING BALLS
LIKE A WAITER BALANCING A DELICATE PLATE
THE BOY MAKES HIS WAY
HE WALKS DOWN A CORRIDOR
THROUGH THE BROWN FIRE DOOR DOUBLE DOORS
AND OUT ONTO THE NEXT CORRIDOOR
WHICH SERVS AS A PROMENADE
OVER LOOKING THE SWIMMING POOL
THE BOY LOOKS OVER THE EDGE,
4 VERICAL LINES OF SEGREGATION SLICE THROUGH THE POOL
PARTITNIONED ACCORDING TO LEVEL OF PRACTICE
THE LANE AT THE FAR END SEEMS TO CATCH HIS EYE,
BEGINNERS,
SMALL GROUPS OF MOTHERS AND FATHERS,
SPLASHING ROUND WITH RELUCTANT INFLATABLE ARM BAND CLAD KIDS
WHILST THE REST OF THE PEOPLE JUST GO UP AND DOWN,
BACK AND FORTH
THE BOY JUST TUTS AND TWISTS
THE TWO SNOOKER QUES GRIPPED IN HIS RIGHT HAND,
AS THE PROMENADE ENDS,
AND JUST BECOMES ANOTHER STERILE CORRIDOR
3 WALLS TURNED BACK TO 4
ORDER RESTORED
THE BOY WALKS FORWARDS,
AND SEEMS TO IGNOIRE
THE POSTER CLAD WALLS OF KICKBOXAISE, KEEP FIT AND PILATES
UNTIL HE STOPES AT THE DOOR THAT INDICATES "ROOM 19, SNOOKER"
HE WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR AND ENTERS THE ROOM,
HE CASTS A GLANCE LEFT AND RIGHT
ALL HE SEES IS TWO FULL SISE SNOOKER TABLES,
DOMINATING THE SPACE
HE HEADS TO THE TABLE ON HIS LEFT,
AND RESTING THE QUE'S UP AGAINST THE EDGE,
HE PLACES THE BALLS AND CHALK ONTO THE GREEN FELT
THE BOY THEN HEADS TOWADRS THE SCOREBORAD,
AND THEN SLIDES ALL THE GOLD SQUARES BACK TO 0
HE WAITS,
THEN HESITATES,
HIS EYES MOVE BACK AND FORTH TOWARDS THE DOOR
THE BOY TUTS AND THEN MUMBLES AN EXPLITIVE
AND TAKES A RED BALL FROM THE TRAY,
AND LINES IT UP ON THE D
HE PLACES THE WHITE BALL,
AT THE OPPOSIYE END OF THE TABLE,
AND ASSUMES HIS QUEING POSITION,
THE BOY SMAHES THE WHITE TOWARDS THE RED,
THE RED AND WHITE COLLIDE WITH FORCE,
AND RIQUOET OFF INTO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
THE BOY THEN REPEATS THIS SEVERAL TIMES,
WITH EACH STRIKE MORE AGGRESIVE THAN THE LAST,
UNTIL FINALLY,
HE MIS-QUES HIS LAST HIT,
ONLY SKIMMING THE TOP OF THE WHITE BALL
THE WHITE THEN FEEBLY ROLLS TOWARDS THE RED,
POSITIONED NEAR TO A CORNER AT THE FAR END,
THE WHITE MISSES THE RED,
AND ROLLS INTO THE EMPTY POCKET,
SUNK
