'When It Was Less Hectic, When It Was' Poem by Marty McKenna

when it was less hectic, when it was
less wild; when it was bearable, when
it was almost normal i would rise
at six or seven or eight and wait
for the day room to become
the day room again and put on
my radio station, linger on a couch,
glare out at the view; always various
whilst remaining the same. i made a slow pace
round the ground round the pool table.

‘when i come in here there's always good
music on, is that you? ' you
would ask, ‘yeah' i might've offered.

your girl-in-a-bunker merged with
my girl-in-a-bunker; a small part,
but vital to becoming steady again.
i worried when you threw up your pills.

i'm circling rooms, still.

first published in 'stone of madness'
appears in the chapbook 'gently but a dream'