The Tuesday Poem: The Silent Film Festival
In a loop of the silent shorts from eight countries, count-
less creators, actors and crew; we loop each other, arm in
arm, twin sisters (Siamese twins we’re teased in school).
A pianist is busking a cross-fertilising, genre-hopping
atmosphere on a (to my ear) out-of-tune upright, only
I notice that, I’m the musical one, my twin tone deaf.
Only afterwards are there voices; in the foyer, film buff
men — a few skirts — but most film buffs are men, yippee!
Everyone lets on that they ‘so enjoyed the screenings’.
In the ladies room, my sister adjusts her specs and I redo
my lipstick, we step out for cigarettes, femmes fatales
from the Film Noir era, intent on getting their man.
Noel King was born and lives in Tralee, Co Kerry. His poems, haiku, short stories, reviews and articles have been published in over 30 countries. His debut collection, Prophesying the Past, is published by Salmon Poetry. In 2011 he was shortlisted for the Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize.
