Last updated on November 14, 2023
words by barbara doduk
1.
twilight night of life born in love
divorced hate
family Twizzler stick chewed raw
green blue
blooming mistrust
infidelity lusty neighbour
married label
more questionable likeable friends
flowering fake fun
and
children playing
swing set disasters
and wagon running over little fingers
nails popping bloodied
scenes of laughter
horror rusty nail in little girl calf
stitch needled
fainting on doctor’s lollipop gift
red and sweet
hospital stomach pump remembrances
young little tearful fear
and
those days over the seventies
young soccer boy
the modern family happy
with dog
pool and toys
backyard barbecues
people smiling
merriment
friends continue the facade
the game of charades
and
the lies born on whispers
on accusation clouds
argumentative yells
and questionable reactions
thunder boom
love never lasts in the flash
of passions
fires
flame
she irresistible
other her heart broken
just a father token
and
this is life
this is it
all and all
over and in
no happy ever after
disturbing home life with spiders crawling
webs over the cob corners
stale dust
moving
up-rooting
six year-old day light dreams
and
they controlled the window views
they changed the channels
over the TV days
they were the grown ups
in this silly game
no choice but to follow
the aimless leaders
while they sucked the life out of the union
and
flowers dried
sparkled
shined and polished wood
canvas oiled dreams stored away
boxed
forgotten selves both lost
inside the unforgiving charms
childhood treasures
drifting message bottle lost
waves took to sea
oceans came washing over me
and
that was how mother
father
life for two kids
a boxer dog
house
family in seventy-nine time
limping over the embers and ashes
all that remained
at the fire pit blackened like a married grave,