White Chalk
White chalk on a blackboard
That I ignored as a bored
Boy back in school
Black thoughts left me unmoored
Drifting through the void
Towards a future without rule
Tossed from pillar to post
Lasting six months at most
In most of my jobs
Progressing through charm
And the gift of the gab
Leaving the yobs from my past
In the gutter only to bump up
Against them much later
Sometimes I miss them
And hope they feel better
Snatching at blind opportunities
That only knocked for some
Thoughts
Writing these poems has sent me into the past. They say you need to know where you came from to know where you are going.
Leenalchi are a Korean Pansori band who I had the pleasure to see in 2023 in Nottingham. They take traditional Korean folksongs and give them a fresh perspective over modern dance music. They are spectacular.
© John Monaghan 2026. All Rights Reserved
