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The Night Worker

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“Out of my way! Do as I say!”

         He descends.

“Cant wait. I`m late”

         He shouts.

Mother worry children scurry

        Before him.

“Set up for shaving.” Face laving.

        Pet hate.

Cat tripping face dripping

      Across floor.

Soap swilled pain filled eyes.

      “ Towel "

Domineering demanding he fills

      The  room.

Food crams door slams.

      He`s  gone.

Relief fills calm stills  house.

      And yet

What dreams, might have beens

     Lay hidden unbidden

Neath the surface?

Black browed life cowed surface?

Fate frowned children bound

   He lives

Days night nights day

Sleep work Work sleep.

     For them.

◄ If I Could

Not John`s Cargo ►

Comments

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Yvonne Brunton

Fri 4th May 2012 18:53

This pulses forward from verse to verse until the final lines, which with their single syllables repeated slow the pace and emphasise the sadness of the daily grind to which he must submit, willing or not.It really catches the moods and felings (some hidden) of all the members of the family where the circadian rhythm is tortured. So good. XX

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Dave Bradley

Sun 27th Jun 2010 18:09

Missed this until now, Cate. Perfectly illustrates the point that good powerful poems like this get buried under the other.

Yolande

Sun 9th May 2010 20:03

A unique perspective of an obviously driven man. Wonderfully written and very touching.
Yolande

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Cynthia Buell Thomas

Sun 9th May 2010 17:54

Cate, this is brilliant. Your empathy and your objectivity with the whole situation makes it a heartbreaker. The construction is really good, with rhyme and rhythm carrying the details of the poem emotionally along to its philosophical ending.

<Deleted User> (7073)

Sat 8th May 2010 18:37

I remember him, and his shaving must have been an awful life... takes me back this Cate.
love Bro XX

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Isobel

Fri 7th May 2010 12:23

A great poem Cate which sums up perfectly the tread mill life of a manual night shift worker and its family implications.

I can only recall an invalid father but can still empathise with the 'might have beens'.

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Andy N

Fri 7th May 2010 08:09

Interesting style, Cate. Like the use off dialogue here and the very short lines in places.

Keep it coming - would like to see more in this style! x

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Francine

Thu 6th May 2010 22:15

Yes... 'For them', but at what price... to everyone - including himself?

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