The Flowering Jacarandas Are Quite Pretty Poem by Gert Strydom

(for R)

"The flowering jacarandas are quite pretty"
you said in the morning while I was leaving for work,
also that you do wish that everything had been different,
that we do not perfectly fit into each other's lives
and I did not really understand what you were saying.

Doves did coo in the jacarandas,
starlings tried to steal the food of the dogs
and I did not really understand
when I took the two food bowels the afternoon
to give the dogs some food
that our bedroom was locked

the curtains were drawn tight,
a chest of draws was drawn under the door's handle
and I did not really understand
had to break the outside window
did find you with many empty pill boxes

and then I did know
while the starlings were screaming outside,
and from the jacarandas the doves were gone,
I did throw you over my shoulder,
did carry you to my car in the driveway,

did burn tyres
with flashing emergency indicators on,
with a flying squad police car
that was closing in behind me at speed
did drive right up to the nearest provincial hospital
where I did stop at the ambulance entrance

and it was not the first time
that you tried the suicide thing
and I did not know
how to stop this kind of thing in you
and no treatment or counselling
could convert you from this.