Yesterdays Post
The seasonal grind
through the gears
the autumn now
of working fears.
But what to do
when pension nears
as money’s tight
and mortgage rears?
The posties wife
she knew his mind
twenty years posting time;
but the wheels were falling off.
He chased the debts
with gambling ways
and soon she learnt
that better days;
would not come home to roost.
The heartbreak came with bitter tears
to part now after many years,
the one thing left that sadly binds her
no love letter-
just a final reminder.
Chris Co
Wed 18th Jan 2012 20:40
Thx for all the comments/feedback- appreciated.
Sorry to hear of the sad connection Gray.
The poem came out of reading too many sad stories in various newspapers. Modern times, economics and pressures resulting in Human failings. Situations that occurred a little too often to simply be called anecdotal.
I suppose if you've worked hard and honestly all your life. If you have lived the life that politicians venerate and extol; only to find out that the pension has been pissed away by corporate gamblers. If you then come to realize that your retirement is lurking, waiting to ambush you and take away everything you have strived for throughout your life...Well if that happens, it is easy to see how under such pressure people will make mistakes, hide debts, chase and try and recapture the dream, the always pictured retirement etc.
I see both people in this as victims who themselves become yesterdays post, yesterdays news.
Glad you think it concludes well Steve- it's the best part of the poem in my opinion.
Hi Jane- I agree that she probably did what she needed to do given the breakdown in the relationship. And clearly he made mistakes, the biggest one in betraying her trust by hiding the problems. It's not fiction is it? I mean it is something we have all read about. We have all heard of couples falling apart like this. Glad you liked the last verse.
Hey John, glad you like- ta. The last lines are actually 2 lines-feminine ending tetrameter and pentameter respectively. The lay out on the page is just to hide the ending around the corner. It's a combination that has been used quite a bit. Maybe the layout causes a jagged edge?
G.Nichol- Glad you feel the poem worked for you- thx.
I found out today that the poem has been published in a magazine called
'The Merseysider' in part of an article on poetry (hey! :) The magazine is available at The Tate galley Liverpool, all the Liverpool museums and will soon be available via Smiths newsagents and possibly Tesco.
Chris