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She's Dead You Know!
“She’s dead you know!”
The comment dropped casually into the conversation between neighbours;
Between greenfly on the roses and the state of the roads,
Went almost unnoticed!
“Who’s dead?” the late query.
“Karen, my wife, I found her this morning, lying in the kitchen, all blue, stroke I think!”
There was a long pause as the information was absorbed.
“Did you tell the authorities?”
“Yes I phoned the police, the coroner phoned me back, they are sending a doctor and a nurse to see me early next week! You would think with all the taxes we’ve paid, they could come sooner!”
The neighbour was not surprised, but kept his opinions for himself.
The conversation returned to the mundane. I praised the beauty of the small garden.
“The tagetes were good this year, I’ve never had so many cucumbers! Karen does most of it!"
I couldn’t help wondering if the garden would look so good the following year.
I know which Doctor will attend next week!
You see, I carried the coffin, with five other neighbours, as we buried Karen, in pouring rain, it was a Thursday,
The twelfth day of March,
In 1987!
