Huh?
costs money does paper
ink n’ stuff
and they get it on their hands
blackened fingers n’ nails
need scrubbed
n’est pas
and all that paper’ll lead to a fire hazard
don’t you think
no
why do the buggers running care homes always fail
to understand that there’s more to the art than say
we have to keep em clean
well dressed and
presentable
nice
so we wash and clean and dress em well and sit
roll over
fetch
carry go die for the queen
don’t ruffle any hair
they don’t want to paint or make a noise
at their age they want hush and a lot of rest
and keeping clean
it’s what’s expected
best they get is tv (and mick jagger leading the stones
on stage at glastonbury)
the late mr nick minickers used to string keith Richards guitar, y’know
lest we remember
eh
no whitewash gloss and make do with old age’s linger here in dementia bay
© Philip Johnson
Previously appeared in: Poetry 24, The Ugly Tree; Poetry Scotland, Emergency Verse, Write Away, Caught In The Net, Red Pencil, Writer's Hood, Transparent Words. He works in elder care.
