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Audrey Wills
Audrey Wills - Andrew Motion
I've written two poems, both of which are narrated by people with dementia. I am involved in a little charity called Kissing it Better, which sends teenagers, mainly, into care homes to read poems and sing to people with dementia, and I've been very very impressed, amazed often by the effects that these recitals have. I've seen a large number of very distressed people almost miraculously calmed down, at least for the time being by this, and of course while I have been in the care homes I have also made a mental note - never an actual note - but a mental note of speech patterns and things said and I wanted to try to make some of these into poems, ...
I've written two poems, both of which are narrated by people with dementia. I am involved in a little charity called Kissing it Better, which sends teenagers, mainly, into care homes to read poems and sing to people with dementia, and I've been very very impressed, amazed often by the effects that these recitals have. I've seen a large number of very distressed people almost miraculously calmed down, at least for the time being by this, and of course while I have been in the care homes I have also made a mental note - never an actual note - but a mental note of speech patterns and things said and I wanted to try to make some of these into poems, and this one has a made up name, 'Audrey Wills.' The person I was thinking of when I wrote this has some sort of multiple personality disorder.
Audrey Wills
Two Late Portraits
1. Audrey Wills
I was a Brixham girl
and Dad’s boat was
the pride of the fleet
every day
when they came ashore
I had my pick of the mackerel
beautiful
shiny blue suits
then again
I was stationed on the flying boats
that was a lovely time
they came in very low over the water
or seemed to
ask yourself
what will you remember
In Llandudno on honeymoon
singing at night can you hear me
singing and
I painted my toenails red
I still do this
by myself
that’s me there
dancing round and round the house
without a single brown penny in my purse
you see what I am saying
I am living
every colour except grey
and you would not believe
I have
looked after everyone O
but I have
when I go to the doctor now
I find the door closed
do I knock what
do I do
I sing
come in I am Richard I landed
on Gold Beach I am Peter
I was married to Steve for 57 years
I am Helen aged 72
and I do tatting
I am Ali a widow I am Ron
and I enjoy boiled potatoes
and a drop of broth
I am not a lover of sweet things
as for me I am Audrey Audrey open
the window
and let me hear the seagulls
le me hear the seagulls flying across
as for me I love God and I want to die
what better thing is there to live for
from Peace Talks (Faber, 2015), © Andrew Motion 2015, used by permission of the author c/o The Wylie Agency (UK) Ltd.