Things . . .

Things 1 Things . . . Things? Things! Just ordinary Things. Familiar Things. Everyday Things. Obvious Things. Even trivial Things. 2 Things seen Front-on or From an angle. Things glimpsed. Things touched. The smell Of Things. The feel Of Things. 3 Things? Yes just Things. But all Things That remind Me of you. Some Things Cause a smile Some Things Even a laugh. 4 But other Things ‘Touch’ me more, Moisten the eyes And block my throat. Such as when In my mind I ‘see’ ‘Mongst other Things Just Where you Slept that last night. 5 At the backdoor I clearly ‘see’ Where the anorak,

And dog leads, Hung on the gate. Then the wedding Picture, on My desk, frames Your smiling face. 6 Elsewhere in a drawer Two packs Of Bridge cards With cosmos On the backs. A pair of Red epaulettes With Green Maternity Bars. 7 An empty Spectacle case. Also ‘neath my feet Persian carpets You picked out. The couch for two In the family-room. In your garden The yellow clivia. 8 The smell of Jasmine In the spring. The roses In full bloom, Fresh leaves on Summer trees, White and mauve Petals of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. 9 Back inside Bowls of potpourri. White Rosenthal Dinner plates. And the aroma Of roast leg-of-lamb. Needlework in frames. Tiny squares for Another quilt.

10 Hanging in A wardrobe An Icelandic sweater From Aberfoyle, Another from Edsel in Fife. And others You wore when Walking your dogs. 11 In a crowded room From time to time The back of a head With hair like yours ‘Perhaps it really is’? And on many a day I sit and stare At the empty stairs Into our space. 12 Then on occasion My heart leaps For I see you Stepping Down to bed, Still wearing That beige uniform From twelve hours Of night duty. 13 In one hand A piece of Bovril toast And in the other A beer-mug Full of tea. As in stockinged Feet you sweep By me to your bed. 14 Yes anything you Touched, wore, Made, or used. Simple Things,

Everyday and Trivial Things, All those Things Those tiny Things Remind me of you. 15 Unlike the Pimpernel I see you here, I see you there, Indeed I see You everywhere. And now as I Write these lines You nestle in my mind. 16 And in a flash As I ‘see’ clearly In my mind again All these Things, These little Things, Even the trivial Things I’ve mention here I miss you More than ever.

Keith Beavon 8:x:2009