A Portrait of You (751 hits)
Category: RomanceRating: 1.69 on 34 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Flash Harry (View user info) at 2008-05-16 05:34:08 EDT
Stored underneath my bed, next to tattered work-boots and dusty suitcases, is a bashed tartan tin. Once, it was filled to the brim with crunchy, sugarcoated shortbread, but with that long since eaten, the tin has a new purpose.
Every now and then, and mostly by accident, I pull it out and hold it in my hands. Usually I slide it back into the shadows for another day, but sometimes I will curl up on the bed, pry open the lid and spread the contents out on the duvet.
Dozens of photographs peer back at me. Images of you, the girl I loved and lost so long ago. If I ever lay my eyes upon your person again, I will no longer see the girl I adored. You have changed in my mind. Although you may look the same, I no longer see the beauty I once did.
But the girl in the pictures was a princess to me. I hold one up close to my face, studying it. It is from your 18th birthday dinner. Our faces side-by-side, cheeks touching, the smiles are those of youth and genuine happiness. Later that night I told you that I loved you. It was something we'd utter unflinchingly from then on, over and over. When did it stop being true?
Another picture, another memory. At the beach, with the dogs. Were we ever more content than rambling up and down, throwing sticks and linking arms and paddling in the freezing foam? In this picture you are caught with a half-smile, in a perfect moment of chance beauty. I haven't been to the beach since we went our separate ways. The dog died. This photograph taunts me from a scene I can never again enjoy.
All these photographs. How many hours did we spend together? And of those, how many were spent happy? I hope they outweigh the days spent bickering and miserable.
My favourite picture; or it used to be. A black and white image, as you stare into the distance, eyes wide, lips pouting. A bowler hat balances on your head. It should look silly, but it doesn't. It looks gorgeous. You looked gorgeous.
Here's a good one. The whole gang at the pub, on karaoke night. Red-faced and smiling without sober inhibitions. Serious joy shines from this picture like a beacon. Surrounded by friends and with the girl I knew I wanted for the rest of my life, I couldn't have asked for much more. You would sing Black Velvet, and dedicate it to me. I was the boy that brought you to your knees. Our relationship was the religion. When did the faith turn to fury?
I don't even know if I would recognise you any more. You are like a dream, vague and half-hearted. The photographs are all I have left, and they are a record of a time and a love and a girl which are long gone. Every now and then, I can gather them together, though, and cast my mind back. I can use them to piece together a portrait. A portrait of you.
* * * * *
One night at Uni I wrote a song with my mate, who is insanely talented and has a voice like an angel:
A Portait of You.wma (3 MB) [audio/x-ms-wma]
User Reviews
Submitted by loveinbrevity (user info) at 2008-07-21 11:20:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Astra (user info) at 2008-05-18 12:07:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yes
Submitted by Lib (user info) at 2008-05-16 12:30:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 12:20:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Listen to it here then http://www.thediscord.co.uk/music.htm
Scroll down the tracks to 'A Portrait of You (acoustic)'
Submitted by beer-turtle (user info) at 2008-05-16 12:18:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I don't want to download a license to listen to your song eh.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2008-05-16 11:00:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by sexualchocolate1984 (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:54:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is exactly what my womans ex is probably thinking.
Ha, eat it dipshit! I'm screwing her now!
funny, I have a woman with an ex like that. creepy motherfucker.
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2008-05-16 10:27:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I could really go some shortbread right now although I'd settle for an Irn Bru bar.
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:51:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
photograph
I don't want your photograph
I don't need your photograph
all I got is a photograph...
I wanna touch you!
That bottle of Aunt Jemima better stop talking to me,
she's making too much goddamn sense
I'm really stoned, and I think mom
put acid in my orange juice again.
"YOU BIG HUGE PHALLIC REPRESENTATION OF MANKIND!"
she says to my juice glass
then she turns on me and says something about
how she hates being a stupid fucking racial stereotype
Fuck Yeah.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:51:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Union of Knives are god awful, as are The Knives and The Young Knives, all of whom have played at King Tut's, shite hole that it is.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:48:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I went to King Tut's to see some god-awful outfit called the Union of Knives.
The best part of the night was going outside, watching a lunar eclipse and getting a puff of a doobie from some old hippy. He had used menthol tobacco and it was delicious.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:43:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I will forever hate the Wah Wah Hut place as I was dragged to see 'Arcade Fire', quite possibly the shittest thing to come out of Canada since Celine Dion.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:37:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah Capitol ain't bad, but Bloc? Jesus. I feel almost bad for them.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:36:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah not ideal but they really struggled to get venues. Capitol was good though, there was a good line up that night.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:35:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ahahahahahaha, they played at Bloc and the Wah Wah Hut? Two of the shittest most pretentious venues Glasgow has to offer, well done!
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:33:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah some of them are pretty poor. I like the acoustic Living Alone track, that's definitely got something going for it.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:32:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Also, his voice is pretty good until he tries to sing lower, when he just sounds kind of flat and lame. The lyrics don't do much for me either (especially on Stop/Start).
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:31:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The acoustic recording are better than the full ones, mainly because the drummer was a mentalist.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:30:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh, it's on their website. It's pretty awful to be honest, pretty much like all the generic indie crap that's making the round (still, WHEN WILL IT END).
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:29:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
http://www.thediscord.co.uk/music.htm
------------
Either the one in the post or from their website dude. If neither of them work I can't help I'm afraid, bit of a technophobe.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:27:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The song doesn't play in VLC. Have you got it in a less wank format?
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:17:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
That track is ten shades of awesome
============
Right? This is the band site www.thediscord.co.uk their acoustic recordings are the best.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-05-16 09:15:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That track is ten shades of awesome. Windoze prompted me to download a license to play it since it was ripped from a copyrighted CD, though, which sucks, but it was worth the extra click.
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-16 07:15:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I can't access the song.
2+ because I used to have an old tin box full of pictures. In an odd twist of fate they all got trashed, every single last one from flood damage. I don't keep any pictures any more.
Submitted by Littlebint (user info) at 2008-05-16 06:55:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/116768
All for you Beano.
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-05-16 06:25:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-05-16 06:23:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by sexualchocolate1984 (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:54:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is exactly what my womans ex is probably thinking.
Ha, eat it dipshit! I'm screwing her now!
----------------------------------
*recoils in horror*
Everything about that statement is awful. Well done!
Submitted by Littlebint (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:56:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by sexualchocolate1984 (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:54:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is exactly what my womans ex is probably thinking.
Ha, eat it dipshit! I'm screwing her now!
--
Now that Uber is Compassion.
I love it.
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:56:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Is this autobiographical?
If so, you are a great big gay who needs to let go of the past. And I don't like that you posted one story and then immidiately chaged it when the first person said they didn't like it.
I WANT THIS STORY TO HAVE KNUCKLEHEADED SCOTS ROBBING YOUR HOUSE AND STEALING YOUR BOX.
DO IT, DO IT NOW!!!
Submitted by sexualchocolate1984 (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:54:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is exactly what my womans ex is probably thinking.
Ha, eat it dipshit! I'm screwing her now!
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:53:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well maybe he just sounds like an angel compared to me. My gas is more melodic than my voice.
Unfortunately they're not based in Glasgow anymore. They moved to the Pink Panther's hometown.
Y'know, dur-um, dur-um, dur-um-dur-um-dur-um-dur-uuummmmm....(Durham).
Submitted by Littlebint (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:47:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I prefer the acoustic too, but I dont actually like his voice, just me, you have some strange sounding Angels up in Glazzzgeee. I like the instrumental though.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:41:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Although further down the list is 'Portait of You (Acoustic)' which is the one I prefer.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:40:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
If the song doesn't work try here http://www.thediscord.co.uk/music.htm
Its the band's website, I don't know if they are still playing together though.
It is the first one on the list, 'Portait of You'.
Submitted by Littlebint (user info) at 2008-05-16 05:38:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yep. Much better I think.
I still can't get the bloody song to work :-(
(You do know that people will diagree with me though, they normally do)