Done Poem by Gert Strydom

(in answer to Thérése Bartman)

With my coming home after work you do get a kiss,
while I made tea and you do smile and embrace me,
the dog barks outside and howls as if someone is coming
and with a greeting the adult children do walk past,

outside after the heat of the day it seems as if the seedlings are withering
and I stand for hours with the hose watering the garden
where you sit and read on the bench that I had made
and later do go from flower to flower like a bee or butterfly.

I do drive the birds away from the dog's bowl,
rub lice and flee repellent into its fur,
do lift her kennel on a pallet for the coming rain,
do notice lightning bolts falling and the wind driving stormy clouds along,

do spread out crumbs on the grass for the many hungry birds
while you invite your girlfriend that do visit in a group into the house
and some more tea and biscuits and soft-drink for the children you do demand,
while I am pouring cooking hot water in a pot on the gas-stove,

chopped onions do fry in another pot in a bit of oil
and in the passing you do remark that you feel like having salad as well
where I am preparing spaghetti bolognaise and that it is smelling great
and at the gate you wave your girlfriends goodbye,

do go and sit at the large television that is mounted against the wall
where you are following "Days of our lives" do witness how their lives do look
and I bring you some more tea but your attention is far away
while I spread a new tablecloth over the table.

Later alone I wash and dry and stow the dishes
while you are busy with new mascara at the hair of an eye,
do make up your face again and ask me how it does look,
do ask me not to write some more poems about the abyss and about death

as they do bring you sorrow and make you feel depressed,
do fall asleep in my arms in front of the television
and like a child I carry you to the bed
as you had forgotten about our later appointment.

I do run hot water into the bath for you,
take out your sleeping clothes that you can just to step into them,
do awaken you to take your bath,
do hear the wind outside hit with branches on the roof

and before I get into bed I do pray to God,
do thank Him for everything, for the children talk to Him about their destiny,
do thank Him for you and do everything in my life entrust to Him
and almost asleep you look at me from the bed.

[Reference:"Klaar"(finished)by Thérése Bartman.]

© Gert Strydom