Negative Sales Talk – Marguerite Wood

The George Crabbe Memorial Poetry Competition
1974 Crabbe Memorial Competition – Joint First Prize
Adjudicators: Jeni Couzyn, Christopher Hampton, Robert Dumper

For entertainment

choose black and white T.V.
you will find it to be the best.
Colour is the obvious choice

for those beautiful scenes
in the country with meaningful
close-ups of flowers, and ice

grottos in blue glaciers shot
by naturalists. It’s the not so
beautiful news black and white

is best for: the motor-way
pile-up, the Belfast day’s
bombing, blood flowing red isn’t right

for entertainment.

Copyright © Marguerite Wood 1974