Girls love a guy with scars

It’s the trees.
He opens the car windows,
can you smell it? Damp pine.

There were bamboo shoots growing here.
Rough bark always cut his hands
but girls love a guy with scars.

Moving through streets he walked
as a boy, it’s frightening, he says,
the thought of us growing up too fast.

We watch the waves at Boscombe,
perpetual back and forth, and pause
to take a photo of rust suspended above ocean.

At New Forest the trees
are one thousand years old.
We leave the umbrella in the car, look up

into rainfall, leaves, a haze
of wet green. It’s ok to wonder
he says, the height is staggering.

NOTES:

Natalie: During our trip to Bournemouth, Chris and I thought a lot about what we want to do with our lives – mostly concerning travelling and work. This poem is an exploration of growing up and how complicated it can be sometimes, especially when different places present you with new thoughts about yourself. This poem jumps between settings; from cafes at Boscombe Pier, to the rust of Bournemouth pier and finally to the greens of the New Forest, highlighting our journeying thoughts and our physical movement across Bournemouth. I also wanted to capture how Bournemouth is a part of Chris’ childhood, he knows its past and how it has changed over the years.

Chris: OK – 3 cameras, 3 films, lots to talk about. First off I was shooting on 2 Pentax ME Supers (Natalie got me a new one for my birthday and this was the 2nd test roll) as well as a little Lomokino (the 4 frames in 1), point and shoot (also a birthday present). My main camera was locked and loaded with Portra 400, I needed some certainty in what I was shooting as I had no idea about the others and Portra is a perfect workhorse. The new Super was shooting Fuji Xtra 400. Not my favourite film but I needed something average just to send through so if there were any issues I wouldn’t be too upset about losing the roll. Bournemouth is also incredibly green and Xtra captures that nicely. I’ve included 2 images, Natalie with her back to me on the pier and the light leak pier. Unfortunately there is an issue with the loading lock, meaning that the film slips and I’m getting more and more double exposures by accident. It came with a beautiful Chinon 50mm f/1.8 however and that’s proving to be a treat. Finally the Lomokino, this has 4 lenses instead of 1, all firing 1/4 of a second after each other giving this movement affect. This capturing of movement compliments Natalie’s poem very well as it talks about our journeys and thoughts. I was shooting expired (2005) Photo Porst X – some absolute bargain bucket film but for what it was, it came out ok. Bournemouth, for me, is where I grew up with my grandparents and I have very specific, strong memories that hopefully come across in these images. The smell of damp forest, the heavy shadow of overhead pine trees and the powerful emerald green of the sea.