New Poetry: The Red Shoes as a Metaphor for Bi-polar Disorder by Jo Mazelis

by The Lonely Crowd

 

First there are delusions of grandeur

Tip tap

 

Then inappropriate items of clothing

Tip tap

 

And extravagant spending

Tip tap

 

Then the endless dancing

Tip tap tip tap tip tap

 

Followed by exhaustion

Tip tap

 

Followed by depression

Tip tap

 

And the need to punish oneself

Tip tap

 

Then medical intervention

Tip tap

 

And fevered piety and terrible regret

Tip tap

 

And wooden feet

Toc toc

 

And wooden feet

Tic toc

 

me b and w new york 2005Jo Mazelis is a novelist, short story writer, poet and essayist. Her collection of stories Diving Girls (Parthian, 2002) was short-listed for The Commonwealth Best First Book and Welsh Book of the Year. Her poetry has appeared in Poetry Wales, New Welsh Review, I am not a Silent Poet and Screech Owl amongst others. Originally trained at Art School, she worked for many years in London in magazine publishing as a freelance photographer, designer and illustrator, before receiving an MA in English Literature. In 2014 her novel Significance was published by Seren.

Words and Image: Copyright © Jo Mazelis, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Poetry