WORDSby Stevie DufynDecember 2022.
Words of love, of hope, of care.
Words can harm, all hope to sever,
Their effects can last for ever.
She read her first book. Rupert.
She spelled out her first word, Bear.
She joined the library, and went to school.
She was friendly and talkative,
But mother said Stop mithering
So she stopped, and read
Every book in the town library.
She liked her Dad reading with her.
A working man, cloth cap,
An old dad, the age of a granddad.
Who worked too hard and died too soon.
She was fourteen then, in a school
That did not appreciate her,
Or other working class girls,
Preferring the rich and connected.
And mum only had her,
Expecting to be looked after into old age
As she had done long ago.
Pleasing words are all too rare,
Words of love, of hope, of care.
Words can harm, all hope to sever,
Their effects can last for ever.
Conversation once refused could not be mended,
The girl went to university
To the surprise of her school
Or at least that’s what they said.
University was hard, thanks to an injury
To the head with a hockey stick,
A concussion to last a lifetime.
But she met a boy, and married, and became a teacher.
She told the boy about her favourite books,
And they became his favourite authors too,
And they met these, their children, their admirers
But bore no children to share books with.
No children the authorities wanted adopting
Only white babies, since we are white.
A family for black and brown children
Clearly did not matter. Alas.
A Masters degree led her
To a senior job in a comprehensive school.
But the head injury deepened
And with it gradual decline.
Yet there were twenty more working years
Until the words and memories departed, from a dictionary
To a few, Yes, don’t, lovely, good
Thanks, hello, goodbye, oh dear, oh God.
Wisely use your words of love
Words of cheer, with hope to prove.
Words can harm, and bring in strife,
Their effects can last for life.
© Stevie Dufyn December 2022
No comments:
Post a Comment