MARGARET O’DRISCOLL

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL

THIS DOESN’T  MEAN  I LOVE  HIM ANY LESS

She had great courage

sitting  behind them in the courtroom

They sat in a row flanked by their solicitor

At break time

her solicitor suggests doing a deal

This was not a market place –

Or was it?

Bargains made about a child’s tomorrow

he warned about emotions –

fine for him, he had no ties with you

Said he could fight it out but advised

it was prudent to be directed

by the judges comments

Two years, he said -

she stalled – then down to one

she stalled some more –

a six month review

He brought her the care order

read it out -

then when signing it she said,

‘this doesn’t mean I love him any less’

Her only recourse -

her hand guided by the law

her tears ran down as she gazed

through rain rattled windows

Then her grief turned to anger

releasing pent-up pain

numbed with shock

heavy with hurt

the leaden lump of injustice

‘As and from now’, they said

‘the care order comes into effect

but we’ll let you keep him tonight’

As if they should be thanked

A CHILD’S GIFT

She asked if she could take

blossoms from the cherry tree

She cut up an old cereal box

she was as happy as could be

I saw her stick the blossoms

all around a cardboard square

In the centre of the frame

she placed a picture there

She said, ‘this is for you

But the flowers will fade fast’

A child’s gift so special

The memory will always last

BY THE LAKESIDE

Velvet reed mace by the lakeside

swans glide on the mirror serene

Buttercups gold among grasses

In heat haze a calming scene

I sit on a mossy stone relaxing

the lake a reflection of sky

Fluttering along just beside me

A beautiful orange tip butterfly

As I retrace my footsteps

The butterfly flutters so free

Spirit of a long lost loved one

Descended to accompany me

DOING THE LAUNDRY

A regular task

almost elbow-deep in suds

Steam rising from the tub

a bar of Sunlight soap

vigorous rubbing of grime

between reddened thumbs

shirt collars scrubbed

then wringing out to rinse

Whites bubbling on the boil

the magic smell of clean

Laundry pegged out on the line

whipped up in a breeze

Starched tablecloth

flapping to and fro

drying in the sun

the washing warm from the line

Creases ironed

sheets smoothed

stacked neatly in a press

bygone rituals of orderliness

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL is an Irish poet, living in Cork, Ireland, mother of seven and grandmother to eleven. Her work appears in various journals and anthologies internationally and many of her poems have been translated into several languages including, Polish, Bulgarian, Persian, Finnish, and Punjabi. One of her poems appears in a current GCSE English Literature Exam Publication. In 2016 she published her first collection, ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free’, it has received rave reviews. She was awarded a full bursary to attend The John Hewitt Summer School in 2016. Several of her  pieces have been rearranged and recorded by a classical singer. She has been interviewed by  the poetry editor of Panorama an international literary journal.