The Sound Collector

Roger McGough 1937 (Litherland)



A stranger called this morning
Dressed all in black and grey
Put every sound into a bag
And carried them away

The whistling of the kettle
The turning of the lock
The purring of the kitten
The ticking of the clock

The popping of the toaster
The crunching of the flakes
When you spread the marmalade
The scraping noise it makes

The hissing of the frying pan
The ticking of the grill
The bubbling of the bathtub
As it starts to fill

The drumming of the raindrops
On the windowpane
When you do the washing-up
The gurgle of the drain

The crying of the baby
The squeaking of the chair
The swishing of the curtain
The creaking of the stair

A stranger called this morning
He didn't leave his name
Left us only silence
Life will never be the same
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Submitted by RobertHaigh on August 05, 2020

Modified on May 03, 2023

42 sec read
3,546

Quick analysis:

Scheme Abxb xcdc xexe xfxf xgxg xhdh Aixi
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 710
Words 140
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Roger McGough

Roger McGough was born in Liverpool and educated at St Mary's College and the University of Hull. He has been a writer for many years, and his numerous collections have established him as one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in contemporary poetry. more…

All Roger McGough poems | Roger McGough Books

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