Breath (Prose)

whilst we waste our
b
r
e
a
t
h
the meal ordered took too long
someone takes their
l
a
s
t
cut down ~ bloodied holes that pierced
the skin or sliced with steel paper thin
he refused to carry weapons
his crime? wrong place ~ wrong time

on a cold and stony road she
lies gasping for her final breath
hit by one who drank ~ who swore he
didn’t see her car, she wore no safety belt

alone in an empty lane ~ forgotten old
feeble, slouched on cold brick walls
his organs failing from abuse
his begging plea no longer heard

he’s old he hears them whisper
~ had a good innings, he hears them say
as he lies on starch white sheets
his maker to carry him away

and someone is breathing their
f
i
r
s
t
on crackly sheets, fluorescent lights
mother breathing ~ child’s head crowned
silent moments, body held, gasp of air
cries of joy, as her baby enters the world

the trip to hospital so far away
traffic bad, anxious, panting, blowing air
can’t wait, it’s now, it’s coming now
the car not quite a manger but ~ matters how?

toiling hard under summer sun
no doctors on this round
she squats and helps deliver
her new son upon the ground

by an empty lane alone she grabs
her tummy, pain is real, she’s scared
she’s young, as water pools around her feet
crouches screaming till her baby breathes

so with every breath you take
try not to use it too complain
for breath AS LIFE ~ A PRECIOUS thing
a commodity we shouldn’t waste

©jmtacken October 3 2013

they sell ‘what’ at the market??

I am giving my little poetic brain a rest for now..probably will emerge later on tomorrow.

For this little post however I want to tell you the disturbing sight Mr. S and I saw this afternoon.

No,  it wasn’t both of us naked readers, please get that visual out of your heads.

We went to the local market near us, primarily to purchase some printer ink for Pop and some fruit. I did get somewhat distracted by the honey covered almonds and macadamias and yes I bought a small packet.. as they are were simply delish!

We strolled up and down the aisles (it’s like one very large open undercover garage) surveying the crap articles for sale.  My goodness such an array of …. and…. can’t really describe the fake jewellery, the illegally downloaded DVD’s and CD’s… where are those pirates when you need them? Oh they don’t actually send pirates  😦  pity Mr. Depp just sprang to mind racing across the foreshore hmmmm, sorry where was I.

Oh yes,  the disturbing articles on display in a very large stand, surrounded by a plastic shield were knives (I am so sorry I did not take a photo to share),  but I shall be writing to our local paper tomorrow to get an explanation!

We aren’t talking your apple paring knife, or your fish scaling knife or even your swiss army (must have in case  get lost in the wilderness knife). We are talking weapons, weapons that dads and their young sons were ogling over.  Weapons that teenage boys were pointing at and excitedly saying “Crap look at that one!”

PEOPLE Really…Seriously? How on earth can these be on display and sold?  Do we not have enough violence to deal with in our little suburban lives without thinking that Mr. “I want to sell you a new electricity plan”, who comes knocking on our doors, doesn’t pull out one of these instruments of death.

We don’t have wild animals roaming for the need to protect ourselves from them. Our kangaroos are very rarely seen in suburbia. What on earth and more so how on earth are people allowed to sell these in a Sunday market along side your fruit and veg?

It baffles me and disgusts me and certainly gives the wrong message to the “let’s go strolling round the market and see if we can buy a kick-arse machete this afternoon?!”

That’s it – I am done, but I shall be writing our local paper and ask W..T…

 

Over and out

x