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Paul Tristram

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Hearse Convoy

It’s amazing
how a moment changes
things forever.
Flower petals look so ugly
with tyre marks
pressed into them.
As I noticed this
I staggered and vomited
whilst listening to the feet
marching away.
After recovering slightly
I lit up a roll-up
and wretched again.
Thought back to that time
years ago
when I stood at a Tonna bus stop,
thinking that throughout
my life I would remember myself
at this exact point every
now and again.
Wretched once more,
said the first line
of the Lord’s Prayer,
then wondered how much
gravediggers get paid
and why evergreen trees
are evergreen?
Twisted my favourite ring
off my finger,
decided to charge
dramatically and emotionally
over to the front line
and drop it down
onto the coffin.
Stood up, staggered,
changed my mind,
threw the ring perfectly
into a drain.
Wretched again
then made another roll-up.
Heard the feet marching back
towards the cars around me.
Threw the cigarette onto
the tyre marked flower petals
and off we drove, forever.

 

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