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Memories of Torquay (next door to Paignton but still ADULTS only)

                            

 

People think that Torquay is an exotic sunny resort,
Nestling on the South Devon coast, whimsically called
"The English Riviera" by the moronic tourist board,
But mainly famous for its drooping palm trees
And for its notorious lesbian nightlife on Tuesdays.
And also for the fact that I once lived there
And watched a courting couple bonking in a shop doorway.
But enough of these charming youthful memories
And let us move on to the nitty-gritty horror
Of how my poor cousin Ebeneezer got wasted in this delightful borough,
(I fear some readers may be waiting for such an event).

I was there on the Devon Riviera (sorry I already did that bit)
With my immensely obese cousin, "Fatty" Ebeneezer
(who had the benefit of being four foot three in his high heels)
When a gang of would-be Tour de France cyclists,
Sky-high on Lucozade laced with topclass meths,
Their metabolism shot to f*ck with sporting prowess,
Leaped out from a public toilet and cut his head off.

And they left him lying there on the tropical promenade,
His enormous skull detached from his shrunken shoulders,
And for what, a few hundred milk-bottle tops
(he was the European milk-bottle top collector par excellence).
Poor Ebby had to be taken to the morgue in two separate bags
And I got hit for the goddam outrageous funeral costs
As his travel insurance had lapsed because of an oversight.
Dear God, I shall avoid Torbay totally and utterly, ad infinitum.
 

Author notes

I am the poet Barry Hodges and this is the 23rd poem in my ground-breaking, apocryphal "Memories" sequence and I am 200% honoured to be able to dedicate it to the poetess "A Hopeless Case" whose poems I love and whose advice on restaurants to avoid in order to prevent an attack of possibly fatal touristic diarrhoea has been invaluable.

Othe seaside poems in the series include Margate ( http://www.allpoetry.com/poem/3145104 ) and Southend-on-Sea ( http://www.allpoetry.com/poem/3151744 ).

Please read the entire sequence of 22 so far and add me to your favourites to catch the next 60 or so in the pipeline.

Also note I have selected a green (palm trees), blue (the foetid English Channel) and orange (the blazing English sun) colour scheme. It's touches like that which identify me as a sensitive human being.

Number 24 can be accessed via this helpful link: http://allpoetry.com/poem/3192422 !

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Comments

1 - 27 of 27

  • MaMa-2-be-Cindy
    July 1, 2008

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    This is unique and different , I like that..and I see it to be a well considered entry for the contest

    Thank you and good luck


    Cindy


  • Snow White Sorrow
    December 20, 2007

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    Very nice. The colour scheme is a bit bright but the thought behind it was deep. I wasn't expecting to see such a dark poem at the beginning, but you proved me wrong by the end. This is the work of a good poet.


    • Snow White Sorrow
      December 20, 2007
      Edit | Reply
      Oh and by the way, you haven't put what part of my AP Family you want to be, and your username.


  • Synthetic-Nightmare
    December 4, 2007
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    WOW.......

    I love the tone change....
    it started out almost peaceful and describing the life of one who lives in this area and then turned dar, deadly and sadistic. This is quite a sobering reality of the dangers we rarely think about.
    KUDOS!
    And good luck in the contest!


    • Barry Hodges
      December 4, 2007
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      I will certainly need good luck in your contest since you just closed it and passed over the best entry (mine). Odd, that.


  • Heartbeatsxfading
    October 12, 2007
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    I like this but I also didn't. It had good visualization but it wasn't what I was looking for.


  • Amera gold member
    August 23, 2007

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    This is a well penned prose and a chilling read but it really does not meet the contest guidelines. I am looking for poems about your home town. The rules spicificly said no prose. Sorry.

    Love,
    Amera ♥

    • Barry Hodges
      August 24, 2007
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      Reply to Amera

      It is indeed an honour to have entered a contest in which there were 20 entries. Three received trophies, sixteen were accorded honourable mentions (in spite of some startling illiteracy in some of them); only one was left out in the cold - MINE! I regard that as a wonderful tribute and I would like to thank you for it. Also my piece is not prose, but is very poetic indeed. I shall remove it from your contest as a thank you.


  • potanical
    July 22, 2007

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    Ha ha - poor Ebby, but even if he hadn't suffered this terrible fate, he would surely have died from heart failure sooner or later, given his immense size! Great fun storytelling once again.

    Ann

  • buffytheparrotslaye
    July 20, 2007

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    Such a delightfully horific little chiller in a more refined location cannot be conceived of.Well naturally I sympathise with your plight my dear but Ebenezer was not the most charming of characters.And that is putting it very mildly.
    Yobs must do what yobs must do and in a strange weird way I think dear Ebby is looking down on us now albeit headless feeling somwhat of a hero.
    That rotund body and brainless mind certainly met an unusual and rather memorable end.Terribly sorry you got stuck with all the funeral expenses but you are always far too lenient with that family.I suppose it is your cross to bear my dear.
    Now wait till I post my charming little tale of how my husband's cousin Mohammed-no relation to the Prophet-got buried in the sand by a camel led by a pack of burnt Bedoiuns.
    Loved it!


  • pippin-736
    July 19, 2007
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    that was a full on story. Did that honestly happen to you?


  • Pete Greenslade
    July 15, 2007

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    well done barry ,,may i ask .is there any place you havent been attacked..you must attract it.. even in drowsytorquay...i went there once .it was closed


  • frankey
    July 14, 2007

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    wow this was just as funny as the other one I read and a little bit similar too! I enjoyed it though.


  • Crazy-Baby
    July 14, 2007

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    lol this is a really funny poem, great imagery and excellent wording. please could ou let me know what option you wrote this for? thanx xx


  • chills gold member
    July 14, 2007
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    Another perfect vignette of the south coast. Huge applause. x


  • horus8 gold member
    July 13, 2007
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    On another note, this is the funniest shit I've read in a long time.
    You're an excellent writer.


  • horus8 gold member
    July 13, 2007
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    I laughed out loud when the amphetamine enriched cyclist put a new twist on crank, and went completely Guam.

  • horus8 gold member
    July 13, 2007

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    You must lose "you sickos" because it doesn't work for this character you are writing with, and it's redundant, trust me, we know we're sick.

    • Barry Hodges
      July 14, 2007
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      I had doubts about that phrase, I must admit. I have replaced it with something more in keeping with my sober personality. Possibly I had partaken of excessive cider at the time.

  • Yvette Champ gold member
    July 13, 2007

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    "shock to fuck" or "shot to fuck?" Your call dear poet.This introduction to Torquay introduces the reader to the sleazier side of the English Riveria,indeed complete with palm trees ( these are to be seen wrapped in protective blankets during inclement weather)and the lesbians who may just be more manly than the men,Tuesday is indeed the night at Rocky's,the renowned gay club,for ladies who just lurrvvvve ladies to meet and greet ladies of a similar persuasion and brave is the straight who walks with a different gait amongst voracious appetites with a need to feed,'tis sad that Ebby experienced the darker side of Torbay for 'tis usually foreign language students sadly left in such disarray,perhaps the poet should visit Paignton or Brixham to fully experience Torbay,the richness of the red soil,the burr of the locals,the Inn on the Green,ahhh,such memories the reader has,not forgetting an amazing concert at the Riviera Centre featuring Chris Farlowe and Van the man Morrison,a visit to the nations second largest zoo and the best fish and chips from the London Fryer in Preston,a write that was right up the readers street so to speak.

    • Barry Hodges
      July 14, 2007
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      Thank you for your proof reading. I have corrected this error and indeed have taken the opportunity to replace the "u" in "fuck" with an "*" in order to avoid any possible offence. I am sending you a small gift of 50 points as a thank you.


  • Anly Stede
    July 13, 2007

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    Sensitive and attentive to small details that make the whole difference, for sure. So you, the Poet Barry Hodges, receive my utmost gratitude for such entertainingly written travels around the world, and of course, sharing your deep memories so courageously.

    Ebeneezer? lol
    xx


  • love.elizabeth
    July 13, 2007

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    Hahaha.

    Dear me.

    Okay, so *breathes*
    You are just PRONE to these disasters. Right?

    Good poem.
    Torquay is great though! So's Paignton.


    Mwah.

1 - 27 of 27