Her last fiver.
Bread for tea (not hers).
No jam.
Tights for Joss; interview
(another).
No hope.
Pumps for Steve (some pride).
No socks.
Pop for Janey and a chocolate bar
(school outing).
No spends.
Carnation for the baby (and
rusks).
No milk.
Nothing for Bert (gone).
No good.
Few bob left (for her?).
No point.
For something (what?).
No more.
Bleach; maybe bleach (for stains)
if she could;
if she could go on
with scrubbing, scrounging,
scrimping, screaming...
Screaming.
Joss found her;
shopping slipped against the
sleeping baby;
the agony was arched,
out-reaching,
on the bare dead floor.
She had paid the price for
everything,
even love.
(November,
1986)
