Journeys

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Wed, 27 May 2015
  • 2587 reads
10 comments
 
Her hand shading her eyes, it’s as if she peers
through the mists of time; the evening sun, 
an orange ball sitting on her shoulder – 
 
halo-esque her hair – framing her face; wispy, 
white and fine as she graces the entrance
to Thorpe Grange.
 
She’s unaware of me, till I hug her shoulders 
then she says, I never thought you’d be here.
Such a coincidence!  Do you live here, too,
and what’s more do I...do we – Dad and me? 
 
A far cry from their little bungalow
in Orchard Road – this purpose-built place;
orange-bricked, multi-windowed home
from home as it’s advertised.  
 
Littered with corridors...with lifts, teeming 
with strangers she doesn’t know from Adam...
rows and rows of chintz-backed chairs
and young Filipino girls in blue coats.
 
I want to shake her – make her understand, 
as I’ve tried, a thousand times before, she
couldn’t go on any longer, unable to care
for herself...
 
bring things back as they were; remind her 
of the whizz she’d been at crosswords, 
the artiste to top all artistes at the piano.  
 
That, ten years ago today, in fact,
her beloved  Jack passed away.
 
So, I wouldn’t take her back home,
even if I could to somewhere she wouldn’t 
want to be – in a world without him...
 
instead – just squeeze her hand – kiss
the top of her head as one would a kid -
a wartime evacuee, at the station, telling them,
I’ll see you soon, I promise, 
 
with the train pulling away, and she 
realising she’d forgotten to pack their teddy...
the one she’d sewn little black buttons on
where his eyes should have been.
 
 
 
 
   
Certificate PG
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Love

Comments

Submitted by love_writing on

This is really sad, yet so many of us can relate to relatives in similar situations. I found the last two stanza's especially touching, with the link to the forgotten teddy. A well observed emotive piece. 

love_writing

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

lw - many thanks.

Tina

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Full of loss and kindness.

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Philip - your thoughts, as ever, much appreciated.

Tina

 

Submitted by Deliberately Ev... on

This is very sad and poignant. I can understand the feeling here and the way you have summed things up in that protective role reversal. 

The beat of your heart is the mellifluent rhythm to my soul.

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

You have summed up the situation on which the poem touches, admirably, ae. More than appreciated.

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

I loved the description of her, backlit with the sun on her shoulder, and that you bring her back to mind as she was - then at end, the poignant evacuee story; buttons for eyes, so lovingly sewn on the bear. That was touching.  

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Indebted, as ever, Bee. Thank you, so much.

Tina

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

I love the connection with the evacuee at the station and the train pulling away. You can sense all the frustration and kindness combined in this. 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

catherine, once more you have put the essence of a poem in a nutshell.  An art, in itselfsmiley

Tina