The grind

Matt

We were twine o’ thread knottin’ time
bent us snaggle toothed spines needlin’ at the grind

We were fusty with British stiff upper lip
with sabre toothed vanity, mining us extraterrestrial in coal an’ lime needlin’ at the grind

We dreamed o’ greenin’ the land
cigarettes chained to us ‘ands needlin’ at the grind

We erased that which we wished to glimpse
In a trailblaze of exhaust fumes, steerin’ the grind

We extolled the land by mouth
And demarcated it with the other ‘and steelin’ uselve’s fer the grind

An attempt at this week’s W3

9 thoughts on “The grind”

  1. ben Alexander's avatar ben Alexander Aug 9, 2025 / 9:51 am

    Matt, I really like “twine o’ thread knottin’ time” — it pulls me right into the rhythm of the piece and sets up the grit of the grind perfectly.

    Your refrain is really strong, and for a “true” ghazal, you’d get to spotlight it even more by ending both lines of the very first couplet with “the grind” (the refrain).

    ~David

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    • Matt's avatar Matt Aug 9, 2025 / 3:21 pm

      Thanks. Yea I realised that after reading some other people’s posts lol. At least I know for next time.

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  3. D. Avery @shiftnshake's avatar D. Avery @shiftnshake Aug 10, 2025 / 3:57 am

    The voice in this is wonderful, it feels authentic and gritty. A few people didn’t quite get the form (and depending who you ask, I might be one of them) but I figure any poem that comes from these prompts is a good one.

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    • Matt's avatar Matt Aug 10, 2025 / 8:53 am

      Thanks! I’m used to writing without any form and structure, just writing purely what sounds good to me so a few of these prompts have been a challenge.

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