Chicken Soup Poem by Charlotte Peters Rock

White haired and gay in London
with that determination born
of fleeing from Vienna
A Jew breaking up her life

Her echoing flat crammed
Zed-beds put-u-ups and bedding
in every room and corner Waiting
Visitors always Welcome Welcome
-
The gas and charnel-house
taking her family future
Remaining bones white-lining paths
Crunching underfoot like sea shells
-
A sister an extended cousin to put up
They stayed a while On breezes floated
one sailed to America
one - hollow-centred - to New Zealand
-
The cruise ship docking in Southampton
to a seventies rail strike Passengers travelling
no further home than London
filled every zed-bed put-u-up and sofa

Partied Welcome Welcome for three long days
Ghosts of Miriam and Hymie Solomon and little David
sharing chicken soup steaming up
hovering above each sleeping person
-
Wresting her body and faith
away from Jehovah's blank face
She put it into people Welcome Welcome
Smiling and laughing fifty years beyond Vienna
-
Ranked in Golder's Green Red brick
Crematorium number four bore the name Gretl
Replaced by someone else's twenty minutes later
Flocked friends remembered her Welcome Welcome
Returning to her home with chicken soup and laughter

22Jan1997 CPR