Tuesday 16 December 2014

16/12

The lustrous, orange, wintery dawn
Broke free from the night’s embrace,
As he stepped out into morning breeze,
With backpack, uniform and knotted shoe-lace.

The day was fun, co-workers, friends, now lovers,
In that dusky dark street they were heading home,
Hand in hand, happy for once, blessed and hopeful,
A great film, good future, and a wedding bells to come.

Before he could rush out the door to the stop,
His mother raced after him in a nightgown,
In hand a spoon and a cereal bowl,
Ruffled hair, a shawl and slippers hastily worn.

That fearless girl with her charming knight,
Hailed the vehicle and clambered to her seat
Unknowing, trusting, smiling, chatting lovingly,
The dependable queen of the family’s fleet.

She kissed his cheek, he rubbed it off,
She laughed; he smiled in rosy embarrassment,
And jumped onto the little yellow bus,
The day went by with time well spent.

The gloats of unchecked hormones gleaned
The jeering began and the whistles blew
She turned and quipped them to silence
They’d sat quietly till so they could not do.

The cereal was left uneaten, the homework undone,
The sky glowed a shade of burning red,
A tiny beating heart stopped, and lifted to the heavens,
A cry escaped her lips and tears now shed.

The pain blinding, soul turning, lambs in a slaughter,
They threw them out trembling, bleeding inside-out,
Naked living corpses, watchers moved uncaring,
He’d tried, helpless, broken and passed out.

It was over. All over.
No question. No reason fit.
No spark. No pulse.

Was their life worth it?

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