The Spring

There were baby birds, chicks, nesting in one corner of the house.

In another corner lay the old lady, making noises in her sleep

- groaning, coughing, wheezing with the effort to keep breathing.

The chicks made such a noise, chittering, jagged noises in the air.

Mosquitos buzzing away in one’s ear.  

Life seething pulsing as always.....

They would not let go.

The thrum of trucks, mini buses and taxis (not to mention private automobiles) racing up and down

The dirt road behind the house - 

And the drilling buzz of the construction machines - goodness know what their names are -

All signs of living breathing hope, I suppose

While the old lady lay wheezing as life slowly seeped

Between the bed covers and the mattresses,

The toilet papers and the combs/toiletries

Many things come to us all at once

We cannot take them all

Nor give them accommodation

We stare, avoid, avert our eyes

Fixate on those that we understand

Can calculate and portion away

Our flesh teased and plucked

We nevertheless would give, 

rather than fight

And the old spinsters

bachelors

widows

widowers

and near-as-damned-widowed

They protest

Say no

they will fight

They are not the ones to take it lying down

Not the same

But death comes to all

Death with a small d

And above all

The eyes, looking watching

knowing

Your eyes your own eyes

They have seen what you no longer wanted to see

They know the truth you no longer wish to acknowledge

What is and is no longer embraces

All of you

And you fall into the folds

Banks of clouds 

Of heaven of passing of the ladders 

one climbs

Of that moment

When you know, 

It is enough.