Not Forever Poem by Terry Collett

Not forever, Amelia said,
Just as long as I can find a way
Through this circus of life.
She knew her husband wasn’t listening,
He never did, he just sat in front
Of the TV sipping his beer
And smoking his cigar, laughing
Now and then at some joke
On the programme, and she’d repeat,
I won’t be here forever, you know,
Just so long as I think it’s worth
The ride through this two-bit existence.
You see that, her husband said,
You see the way that guy did that trick?
Huh? He sipped more beer. Amelia stood
Over him as he sat and she watched
The TV screen, tried to fathom what
Made him laugh so, what it was that
Made him laugh so loudly. Hey, look
At that guy’s face, Honey, look at that
Darn face. And he’d laugh aloud again
And she watched as his head rose and fell
As he laughed, and she wondered how long
Forever was, and how long the circus
Was in town, and how long she’d get for
Bringing the cold iron down hard upon
His head, but she just tapped his shoulder
Gently with her soft cold hand instead.