Taking Control Of My Life Poem by Dónall Dempsey

Now my life is
'THIS WAY UP! '

All I possess...
labelled: 'FRAGILE - HANDLE WITH CARE!

Inexpertedly packed photos
their smiles cracked

along faults of least resistence

still held in their frames.

Fragments of shattered glass
still cutting fingers

that attempt to
tidy it all up.

My life
in boxes

big boxes
little boxes

of Time gone by
...Time wasted.

Love reduced
to this

long forgotten letters...photos

dried up cat crap
packed up

with the rest of the stuff

as if that too had been important.

That cat is long dead
now only his mummifed poo

lives to tell his tale.

My life
boxed
(shrink wrapped)
sits neatly
in the van.

The chirpy cheery man
asks again:

'Okie dokie...that's that then.
Now...where to Miss? '

'I don't know...I don't know! '
I say not moving my lips.

He looks aghast
as if I were a psycho ventriloquist.

'10 Newbury Gdns...10 Newbury Gds! '

I tell him
taking control
of my life.