Tumbletown
There’s a shadow on the lung
of the village where I live.
Cass tries hard
for a while
then out comes the knife again.
David has done wrong things
he mistakes stagnant for stasis.
He can be viral, we are vigilant.
Ginelle, new mother
has a degree & a need…
needs to feel she still exists.
The biker next door has an appetite.
Her hubby comes home each night exhausted.
Constable Perkins tries hard
but there’s only so much…
Valerie runs a gallery
& cooks for ailing neighbours.
The kids can play soccer every Saturday,
odd Farley has written a book.
We have nurses, holy folk
& a plumber with some great jokes.
You can’t say there isn’t help.
Dodder Pete could tell you some stories.
His war is tamped down
to jokes & a twitch when he tries to sleep.
The owner of the village doesn’t live here.
We heard some stories about him on the news
but have forgotten.
What is the point of knowledge without power?
That febrile teenager Tina
has no ambition other than leaving.
She will not succeed
because though we only see a few streets
(to be honest barely that)
this village is endless.
It burns & excretes plus
there’s that nasty cough.
- © Les Wicks 2021
Les Wicks is a Sydney poet. His latest collection, "Belief", was recently released by Flying Islands Press.
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