CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
Poetry Finalist
At Last the Penny Dropped
By Colin Ferguson
From the womb to Earth I fell
into a subcultural landscape called hell,
and it’s time to peep through a hole into my soul,
it is time I give you this story to tell
which contains the dark side I’ve kept to myself.
So now we must go back in time,
at least 24 or 25 years down the line.
It began with remand in Longriggend in October ’87
they paroled me in April ’96 from Glenochil, I’d just done eleven
Let me state that I’ve killed and maimed many others
only now I realise that they were sons of other mothers.
I couldn’t fathom why I had no emotion or pain
I’ve been to the man, he told me a robot is what I am –
I’ve a metal heart and a metal brain.
He laughed and said, “How does it feel to go insane”,
and, “Don’t you worry, we have lots of medication.”
From that day on I’ve been under sedation.
As I was passing through my hood
while scoring smack for the hunger of my brood,
it was then that my life changed for good.
When we first met, me, the man was gobsmacked
from then on it was at my right hand she stood.
I didn’t need any drug, for the senses she attacked.
You see at the time my face was always down,
but she said that she would love me, and never let me down.
“I’ll keep your chin up, no more frown.”
Then when Saturday came it was time for some fun,
a day of rest with the brood sorted, it was my turn to fight ‘n’ run.
Oh lads and lassies you should’ve seen their faces,
walking down the Somerset Road to support the Ayrshire Aces
Now I must tell you there is a woman who deserves a crown,
she rolled with the punches: in, out, up and down,
sharing my pain, day in day out, over and over again,
still beside me when I became another junkie clown.
Standing by me through all the strife,
she has always been with me all of my life.
So people I must give a big shout out to my mother,
because she has loved me like no other.
I love her as there couldn’t be such an other.
“As soon as I heard about the ‘see me’ creative writing competition I was really keen to be involved and I’m over the moon to have made it through to the final stage. The poem is dedicated to my mother and I'd also like to thank my tutor for being able to show me how to express myself. I’m really looking forward to meeting the judges at the winners’ day and finding out who the overall prize winners are.”
Colin Ferguson