Exhumations

Delving into his immediate
family history our long lost
cousin and his children found
hidden twists and misery
behind shutdown faces
and blank closed doors.

For I told what I knew,
he had not known it before.
Researching he found more
never mentioned to the
younger upcoming generations.

Attempted suicide depression
procuring miscarriages of
unintended pregnancies silently
lurk behind closed doors,
convoluted lies cast a heavy
invisible blanket on successive
generations with far reaching
unhappiness, separations, feuds.

Previously posted March 2018.

Seeking Time Travel

Finding a crucial piece of
information to locate his
forbears’ origins a long lost
cousin called for more
missing links to fill in gaps
in the picture puzzle.

A chaotic tapestry of
random events outside the
families’ control, misdeeds
and misunderstandings, feuds
and partings appeared as
he intertwined his new
information with ours.

He longed to travel back
in time to speak to this
person, to that one, tell
them to have compassion
explain this and that,
make peace between them.


Previously posted March 2018.

Floating

My shopping trundler
ground its sturdy wheels
under the burdensome load
of elderly reference books
from long ago teaching days.
Its staunch metal frame
sagged in spite of its
regular body building
weighty shopping loads.

With books unloaded at the
charity drop off point for
the second hand book sale
the trundler raised itself to
full height seeming to float
behind me as we left.


Previously posted March 2018.

Creeping Cockroaches

Each year an occasional
cockroach strayed across
the back door steps of our
little flats. we never saw
where they came from.

Until a young couple settled
into out middle flat
cleared out their carport
and locker for car parts
and mechanic’s tools.

Cockroaches surged out
to be squashed with the
yard broom on the
carport’s concrete floor.

No more cockroaches for
a long time until he
spent his summer break
on car engine and wheels
for days in and out of the
locker with parts and tools.

A cockroach rebellion against
the upheaval surged out of
their lair to be squashed in
the carport, on door steps.

All is peaceful for now until he
works again on his elderly car.


Previously posted February 2018.

Recovery

After unaccustomed convalescent
immobility the ginger tabby
cautiously moves his back
legs and tail stepping carefully
to the back door down steps
to the back garden where he
attends to his private business.
Soon he will be chasing other
feline visitors off his
fiercely guarded territory.

Nana is catching up on
neglected activities after
her busy pre Christmas
sewing time. Elderly Brownie
with white muzzle and eyebrows
staring out of her coal black
face enjoys long snoozes
under Nana’s sewing desk.

After eleven long days
his family came home to
the joy of the black and
white cat. He and the eight
year old curled up together
on the couch while Mum
and Dad cooked dinner.
He purred loudly as she
stroked him, told him about
their holiday, enjoying
his family about him.


Pre4viously posted February 2018.

Haircuts

Mum felt better looking
at her tidy trimmed hair
reflection in the mirror.

The hairdresser pointed out
little brother’s thick curly thatch
would soon be hard to trim.

Brushing little brother’s hair
caused loud screaming sessions
but Mum still loved those curls.

Reluctantly she plucked little
brother from the salon’s toy
corner, placed him on the
special children’s cushion
on the hair salon chair.

But active energetic little
brother would not sit still
on the cushion so they stood
at the street window to watch
the cars go by. The hairdresser
snipped here and there as his
head turned from side to side.

At last the job was done
the thatch of curls scooped off
the floor into a plastic bag.

Mu went soberly home with
a cheery little brother and
a bag of discarded curls.


Previously posted February 2018.

Afternoon Tea

Mum wanted to take Aunty Jo
to a pleasant cafe for delicious
afternoon tea on her birthday
but the eight year old was still
wobbly after a horrible tummy
bug, had to stay home to rest.

The six year old and little
brother were deputed to
take Aunty Jo out,
ably supported by Nana.

In garden surroundings they
enjoyed the cafe’s luscious
food then happily explored
gardens, sandpit and seesaw.

The eight year old was most upset
at missing this glorious outing,
but Mum eased this suffering
of an eight year old’s heart.

When the others came home
they were met at the back
door by a buoyant young
lady with nails all painted
alternately in sparkling
blue and silver nail polish.


Previously published February 2018.

“It Waved At Me !”

Nana’s small juicy tasty apples
organically grown never sprayed
were cut in half put beside
the girls’ afternoon tea on
their special bright plates.

The outgoing confident six
year old enjoyed her food
by spoke hesitantly, didn’t
want her apple …………
… said the worm waved
at her, she couldn’t eat it.

Rearing up from the apple’s
heart the tiny worm waved
its head from side to side.

Mum excused her from
eating her apple.


Previously posted February 2018.

Brm ! Brm !

Brm brm noises are
genetically predisposed
by the brm brm gene
on the Y chromosome.

Little girls rarely speak
this very strange sound.

Little boys know it
without being taught.

Four wheeled vehicles trigger
brm ! brm ! while being pushed
across the floorl As soon as
he sees one every little boy
knows to say “Brm ! Brm !”

Little brother has no big
brothers to teach him
only big sisters who do not
say “Brm ! Brm !” as they
draw pictures and dance
around in princess dresses.

Yet he still knows to say
“Brm ! Brm !” when pushing
his trucks across the floor.


Previously posted February 2018.

Traffic

On a brilliant sunny public
holiday the children’s roading
network in the park’s far
corner swarmed with children
and their families under shade
sails, on grass kerbs, around
roads and lights and roundabouts.

Wheels turned on scooters,
tricycles, and bicycles as
adults went alongside or behind
while little legs turned little
wheels navigating intersections
lights and roundabouts.

One or two collisions happened
then someone fell off her bike
on an empty stretch of road.
Her Dad condoled with her on
life’s unfairnesses then she
rapidly rode away again.

Other youngsters rode excitedly
on their way, threading their
way around each other at the
tops of their voices on this
glorious sunny holiday.


Previously posted February 2018.