SUNDAY FAMILY MEAL IN THE PUB

by ray pool

Tuesday 6th March 2018 10:21 pm

Eighteen of us all herded together

jammed between the bar and overhead beams

parents sons daughters friends of in clusters

ordering drinks. Pushchairs breached, specially

chosen ladies' shoes below the sightline.

Being pressed so close too hot too confined

like life below decks below the waterline;

an hour yet to wait for a table too many coats

to be hung on chairs.

"How is - you know. How is Uni? New job soon.

Went to the theatre. Knee still playing up - new drug-

oh really? You're taller than me now!

That hair colour really suits you."

Shaking hands, new faces. Stepson's wife gentle and quiet,

other stepson's girlfriend's mother full of late life

money no object this was my triangle for the night.

Post prandial vacating to another bar final hugs

big eyes smarting.

My wife's ex-husband recently bereaved

always now the last to leave.

Comments

raypool

Fri 9th Mar 2018 22:17

Thanks Keith. In a sense I feel a bit ungrateful that I am writing such verse in such an observant way for all the things a family brings to us. Truth is, a poet stands alone in his head, and self expression can only get us nearer to reality I feel. It's a nonconformist state of mind too. That's the rub! Pleased you liked this

Thanks David. The whole day wore the hell out of me, and while your advice would be very sound, i'm only a light drinker as you know! The sadness is always overlaying me, I found the whole experience ghastly and a kind of duty to love. The ex-husband reminds me of the disconnection of the film Gravity. I feel sorry for the guy, but he is the lads' father, and blood is thicker than water. I'll get my coat.

Ray

keith jeffries

Thu 8th Mar 2018 17:35

Ray,

you have excelled yourself with this poem and Colin has caught the very atmosphere it was designed to create. It made me smile if only to realise how it is so often the truth of how we behave collectively these days.

Thank you again
Keith

raypool

Thu 8th Mar 2018 17:04

Thanks Col - your view is prose perfect in tune with my poem. So pleased about your analogy with Sharpe and Cook. Most of the family are only met in these circumstances. Weird or what?

Thanks too Ruby as ever for liking my stuff!

Ray

<Deleted User> (13762)

Wed 7th Mar 2018 08:59

sounds like my worst nightmare and one that I have all too often suffered having thought and suggested wouldn't it be nice if we all went for a meal out on Sunday....

the smoking ban did for many pubs what Beeching did for the railways and the rest of them turned to grub to keep them afloat. Now we pile in with our raincoats, kids, dogs, grannies, Hunter wellies, walking sticks and raucous disregard-for-others attitudes to tuck into poncified, overpriced, served on a slab of slate or wood gastro-tosh. At least I don't have the recently bereaved ex-husband to contend with.

Well described Ray, a sort of cross between a Tom Sharpe novel and a Beryl Cook painting which I sincerely hope is a compliment!? Col.

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SUNDAY FAMILY MEAL IN THE PUB

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