Daily missive for Thursday the 28th of July.~by Peter Forster

 

 

Daily missive for Thursday the 28th of July.

The skin is less than new
Wearing thin
In certain places
Dulled by its exposure
To the outrage
Of life.
A simple bruise
Appears from nowhere
And takes
Longer to heal,
Scratches become
Conversation pieces.
Not war wounds exactly
But the product
Of friendly fire
Or mild skirmishes
With revolving doors
Plate glass an
Invisible sniper,
Striking before
You even hear the crack.
Grandchildren who
Profess their love
But struggle
To grasp the facts
Of your relationship
‘My dad’s dad?’
Innocent
Incredulity.
As the eye closes
The blood a trickle
Against the skin
You resemble a boxer
Mid-fight,
Hunched
In the corner,
On a three legged stool
Waiting
For the cut man
To apply the styptic pencil,
Ready to retire
Go home
And take a slug
Or two
Of bourbon,
Lie with a cold compress
And wonder,
What happened
To that boy
Who met his match
And together
They became champions
Of the world?