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Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

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Tracey Emin

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Post script

From 'Exploration of the Soul' - 1994

I was seven -
Mummy I said - one of the girls in my class
it’s her birthday - and this evening she’s having
a party - can I go

I put on my favourite party dress - Mum
carefully wrapped up some cheap Turkish jewellery
in a piece of tissue paper - for my gift -
And up the road I went - outside school five
or six little girls stood around - the girl
whose birthday it was arrived with her dad
in the car - and as everybody went to get
and her father sternly followed by saying
I’m afraid you’re not invited - you don’t
have an invitation -
I waited outside of school for as long as I
could - and after hiding the jewellery - I went home -
Mum - asked ‘did you enjoy the party’ - yes I said
it was lovely -

That night - I laid in bed and cried - I cried
myself to sleep - and in the morning I asked -
Mummy, what’s an invitation?

 

Page(s) 38-39

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