Poems by Deborah Kayuwa

                                                          

View of the day

She came down to the beach

When they told her

And saw the familiar figure

Sitting still, looking out

To sea and the distant horizon

A moment of hesitation

Then the sure-footed steps towards

The figure; she sat down beside him

And took the half-smoked cigarette

From his fingers and smoked with him

The effect of nicotine helping a little

Her sisters came and placed thumbs

Over his eyes to shut them

For this had been the man who kept her

Vigilant 24 hours a day to answer

All her children’s needs, yet she

Could not take him into her family

She replaced the cigarette in his fingers

Fumes rising and sailing by

As they led her away, from the ocean

 And the motionless figure

For a moment she thought

She would pause, look back

But walked on

            

Walking

Amazing how men choose

To walk ahead of others

Believing they are better

Than the rest

They stroll on ahead

Oblivious of the seasons

Walking the talk, talking

The false or truth

But they walk, anyway

Now I could tell you

About my own lover

Who’d once walked the talk

Way, way ahead of me

But that is yet another story

For another time, another place

Somewhere within the galaxy

              

Ring bark trees

My lover, he’s simply smashing

I tell Charity, my little sis

As we trace the initials carved round

The bark of this ancient tree

So many things carved on this tree

Of and by humanity in passing

Like stars and heart shapes

And diamonds and rings

Next to twelve others

Is my lover’s name

He is the best, I do declare

I notice tears in Charity’s eyes

She weeps for joy, she tells me

I know you are happy, she says

Let there be no other, she prays

Don’t hurt this one, big sis