Views from the driving seat

Cocooned inside the car, stationary for the last few minutes,
Creep crawling, shifting gears barely out of 1st!
Shuffling slipper-clad down the straight black and white chevrons;
Nudging a place here and there, 'Mr impatient' whizzing by in trainers,
Only to find on his half - he still has to shove into a space.
Got you a long way mate, didn't it! 

Gaps widening a little; off in our own little worlds,
To our places of work or whatever beckons.
Coquettishly winking and doing the car - excuse - me:
We move off in gears 3 & 4 to progress a couple more miles.
At last en-route, at last not tut-tutting - or worse!
As the minutes tick by and destination is in reach.

You Promised . . . . I Promised

You promised to love me for ever.
You promised your vows to me.
I promised to love you for ever.
I promised my vows to you.
I respected you
You respected nothing
I gave you me my body, my love, my honesty 
You gave me distress, upset, heartache, abuse.
I made you unaccountably irritated, annoyed, impatient.
You made me fearful, restrained, introverted, desperate.
I drowned in pity
You drowned in beer.
You took away my self esteem, passion, decisions, self image
I took away our son.
I tried so hard!
You tried to destroy me
I forced a smile
You forced me to do things I did not want
I changed for self preservation
You changed me indelibly
You broke my spirit, possessions, our son's toys  
I broke my heart
You dreamt of god knows what
I dreamt I was killing you, I might be happy one day
I felt lost, unloved, pathetic 
You felt empowered
I reported you to the G.P. but only once
You reported me as mentally unstable to the police
You threw vile things at me
I threw away my life for you
You left me bereft
I LEFT YOU!





















  

Autumn fantasy

Bleary-eyed blueness nudges through;

Teases away October haze.

Gently dries sparkles of dew,

Pin-points spun-webs' silken maze.

Replaces fog duveting the land,

As it's clutched against the fields

Reluctant to let it go, as if disturbed

In sleep, to let it yield.

Reveals the day and what a Day!

Trees, shiver down their leaves;

Tumbling acrobats, from hued display

In colours magical, they weave;

Cascading from each trembling branch:

Their welcome now outstayed;

And rest in littered earthy mass:

No memory now of where they played.

One Woman

One woman . . . one previous 'owner';

No sense of humour, completely erased.

Self esteem successfully eradicated;

No sense of well-being; stamped out and on.

Mental health teeters on the brink.

Loveless demands made; to satisfy

Idiocy being the norm now . . .

According to you!

One woman, loved unconditionally.

Treated as equal, respected and cherished.

Contentment together; appreciating each other.

No longer an 'object'.

Scrambled from the pit;

Pulled to freedom.

I'm loved as a woman . . . no demands made:

Pure bliss and enjoyment.

One person changed everything

Nurtured this woman's recovery

And made me whole.

'Me Time'

I need some 'Me Time'; no specific reason,

Whilst trudging aimlessly through crowded store

I conclude that 'trudging' could be better spent.

Facing the 'Wrekin' - Giant hurled mound

So folklore would have us believe;

I walk through Keatsonian mist, now clearing.

Marching on through muddied leaf litter;

In footwear far inappropriate

I take in gulps of revitalising air!

Pine trees needling my nostrils

Damp oaky mulch underfoot.

To my right the ribboning 'M-way'.

To left the Buildwas Powerhouse;

Giants' egg-cups of my infancy.

I survey the wondrous panorama.

'Me time' has been achieved!

Driving homeward bound through woolly studded hills;

I check the gauge . . . and need re-fuelling!

Sunburnt

Summer's past sand squiggles to escape my toes,

As I stand heat-bound on the shore,

Tingle salt-spray bathes them;

A break from sand castle building chores.

I'm nudged into sea-side memories,

As I bundle out covers to sway,

I drape the cool dampness toga-like

Around my neck; this scorching May

Transported to a childhood holiday, 

Calming my sunburned back - chalky lotion.

Seeking out the coolest patch of sheet.

Painful, burned, a spoiled emotion.

Inevitable

My hushed, professional calm stills your room;

Desists the fluorescent clamour

Outside your door.

Belies the constant nag of phones and bell requests.

'Your' light is dimmed and dimming still,

As time beyond ticks on at frantic pace.

You don't know I'm here,

Besides your bed; regulation, crisply made.

I barely got to know you,

Yet here I am to hold your frail, pallid hand;

Token comfort towards the inevitable.

Peacefully calm in your repose.

Your face at rest calms me,

Conceals my 'not supposed to be' fear

At your passing - 

I squeeze your hand with gentlest touch

You'll soon be free from contorted pain

You'll soon be free - rest now!