Gary Allen
Broken promises
Sitting in the urine-smelling shelter
staring at the wind-rippled
water of the dam
skeleton trees black
against an orange skyline
her cold hand stroked my face
as she sniffed and whispered,
Let’s climb the hill son.
She took my hand as we walked
through furrows of dried twisted leaves
across a stone bridge
along an avenue of yelling trees
on the brow of a hill
she looked down on the park
wiping grit from the corner of an eye
with the twisted end
of a paper hanky.
Then as if remembering me
she looked down and smiled
whispered. ‘I’m only fooling myself...’
let me stand for a moment
at the gates of the old house
to see the bearded white goat
chained to a tree in the garden
before hurrying home to make supper.
Page(s) 19
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