After The Blackberry Picking’s Finished

by Paul Tristram / December 18th, 2016

…and you’ve acclimatized,
found breathing room,
within each other’s private spaces.
You juggle constantly to keep the lid
upon that claustrophobic, boiling pot.
Which inevitably bubbles over
exploding a ruined day in bitter silence.
Revealing elasticated cracks
which reshape and set at will.
The photo album (Trail Of Tears!)
is locked away up in the attic
like a demented Mrs. Rochester of memory.
You try keeping it from the kids
but you cannot hide animosity.
Subduing and stifling
where you both once found
energy and encouragement.
You’d miss her if she went away
yet, grate the hours if she stayed?
Love; is but a fondness and familiarity
when the magical fireworks of beginning
have ground-fallen with a whimper.
It’s hard to see outside the box
when you’re living half inside someone else’s.
Luke-warm hearts are not that exciting…
but they can still keep the wolves at bay.

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer who deals in the Lowlife, Outsider, and Outlaw genres.  He wrote his first poem as a teenager following his release from the (Infamous) Borstal ‘HMP Portland’, and he has been creating Literary Terrorism ever since.  His novel ‘Crazy Like Emotion’ is available to purchase right here . Also his collection of shorter fiction Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves' is available to purchase at https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0DFMTSR4F Both books are published by Close To The Bone Publishing. Read other articles by Paul, or visit Paul's website.

This article was posted on Sunday, December 18th, 2016 at 8:03am and is filed under Poetry.