Robert Etty
Sandra's Send-off
The Axe and Cleaver, half past eight for nine.
Fourteen of us on three sides of a table,
Lisa smiling, Ken his raucous loudest,
Mrs Hopwood cigaretteless in a bar
the others picked. More car-park noises
and the rest spill in, all lip gloss, earrings,
suits and banter. Sandie’s waving, low-cut,
half-cut, two kind words away from tears.
Cutlery and glasses clank till presentation
time (some CDs, paragliding lessons
and a foot spa). Mavis giggles through two sides
of typed A4. And going home in Peter’s car,
Jane, who’s been quiet tonight, rears up as if
she’s woken and says all she hopes is this:
that what was meant was said, and what was said
was meant, then stares at lights and stars for twenty miles.
Page(s) 6
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