Project Description

Yolande Deane

YolandeMy name is Yolande Deane, I’m 34 and I live and was born in London. My parents come from the Caribbean. I am an EFL teacher (English as a Foreign Language). I studied at the London Metropolitan University, where I did a BA (Hons) in European Studies and Italian. I have been writing poetry since I was a child but I have only recently begun to do it more seriously.

Past

The past, looks like
the slug in the sink
that has slimed
up the U-bend
the late night street sick
on a Saturday night

Smells like brewing hops
the homeless man
at the back of the bus
and the milk gone bad.

Feels like,
cracked heels in winter
wet jeans after the rain
and a persistent mouth ulcer.

Tastes like
banana, repeating on me
the crushed pill
in
Ribena

Sounds like
the Tom cats’ throated whining
before
the hissing and clawing,
the rustle of mice
in the dustbin.

The past
looks like
feels like
tastes like
this.

Sounds like
hurts like
repeats like
this.

Yolande M Deane