I wrote my poem, Pass the Salt, Love, in response to the W3 Prompt #175, where Sadje, Poet of the Week invited participants to craft a piece centred on imagery.
Sadje’s prompt guidelines
Imagery in poetry is the use of vivid language that appeals to the senses. It allows readers not only to understand a poem but to experience it as though they can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch what is being described. Poets often use similes, metaphors, and precise sensory detail to “show, not tell,” creating a more immersive experience.
Writers are encouraged to choose a subject that feels closest to their heart. Whether the theme is joyful, painful, or deeply personal, authentic feeling paired with sensory imagery will make the poem resonate.
For more on the use of imagery in poetry, see this short article: Imagery in Poetry.
While my poem may not fulfil every element of the prompt, I’m thankful for the inspiration it offered. Thanks, Sadje!
Pass the Salt, Love
by Lesley Scoble
What do you do when your schoolgirl crush sits beside you?
He sat next to me—
on my right.
I stared at my plate,
a dish of fish,
braised skate, I think it was,
it might have been bass…
I moved the peas
with my fork.
I wanted to talk.
I’d ogled his photo
each night of my teens—
now, all these years later,
I was sitting beside him
at the theatre cast dinner—
I was on to a winner.
I’d painted the play’s scenes,
backcloths, and wood-grained the set.
He was there to my right—
I wanted to speak—
and yet…
He was my hero from so long ago—
now I’d painted the set of his play!
I wanted to talk—
He was there by my side—
but my tongue was tongue tied;
it wouldn’t let me say…
how much I loved him,
how much I would drool
each night after school
at his photo by my bed,
I’d dream we might wed—
maybe… maybe…
he would gaze back at me
and sing:
“What do you want,
what do you want,
baby?”
I placed a pea in my mouth.
My heart beat like a rock drummer’s drum.
I was going to say something!
He was there, right by my side…
I’d loved him all my life!
Then, his phone rang—
A call from his wife.
Then, he turned to me and said,
“Pass the salt, love.”
There was a weakening in my knees—
I grabbed the salt cellar
and swooned—
collapsing into my peas,
falling down dead.
—Lesley Scoble, September 2025
Music Audio – “Pass the Salt, Love”
I hope you enjoy this musical theatre interpretation of my poem.
Footnote
Adam Faith
As a teenager I adored the singer, Adam Faith. I loved his song, What Do You Want? and played it all the time.
Decades later, our paths crossed at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln, when he was acting in a play.
Down an Alley Filled with Cats written by Warwick Moss.
I painted the set for the play, starring Adam Faith and David de Keyser, at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln. The production ran there before it premiered at the Mermaid Theatre, London. We had a cast dinner to celebrate the opening with members of the cast, director and producer—and me, the set painter/scenic artist.
Here’s a photo of me with fellow scenic artist, Malvin. I’ve no idea what we were talking about—maybe, “My tea’s cold. Is yours?” or “I’m sick of painting wood grain,” or even, “Painting through the night is exhausting, isn’t it?”
(We really did paint through the night. I remember waking up lying on a backcloth, paintbrush still in hand.)
Here’s a photo I took of the set on stage. As you can see, I had to do a lot of wood graining.
Adam Faith singing What Do You Want?
I’d like to tag this song to Thursday Inspiration #296, where the prompt is Want. And really—what could be more fitting than Adam Faith’s What Do You Want?
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. 🎶
THANK YOU
Thank you, Sadje, for your wonderful prompt that sparked this poem.
Thank you, David, The Skeptics Kaddish, for your Weekly Wea’ve Poetry Prompts.
Last but not least, thank you, the reader, for your time reading and listening to my poem.
LesleyScoble.com 
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