The Memory of Stone
fried onions linger sweetly
sleepers stir to a strong coffee swell
living in boppy pop sing-a-longs
and boogie nights
keys jingle
laughter ripples time on time
steps are bold and brave
eternal memories chronicled in stone
seasons pass / decades meld
suddenly steps are
solemn and grave
voices grate
doors open
then slam
hopes crawl under the bed
fears multiply and conflate
tears fall
then emptiness
only a click of heating
drip of a tap
and gusts on a For Sale sign
this patina of life in stone
tells a solitary story
for now.....
A Dream Drive
today
I almost reversed my car
into a street light
almost
the gunmetal column appeared
abruptly
my rearview mirror laughted with
relief
the convulsion of the brake
jolted
dream memories
dream logic
driving along I'm terrified white
no steering wheel
n o b r a k e s
n o c o n t r o l
I am delivered from the dream
unresolved
reversing my car
checking mirrors
over my shoulder
not seeing
choosing not to see
never colliding
I am delivered to the parking space
undented
dream reality
Twitter : @g3ra1din3
Geraldine Fleming retired early from an all-consuming career due to ill health. Bereft of purpose in her new life she found herself drawn back into past interests. This newfound freedom allows Geraldine to renew her interest in creative writing. She is a member of the North Coast Writers Group in Northern Ireland and enjoys writing both prose and poetry. In 2019 she was highly commended in the Bangor Literary Journal. After a stalled start she has published in Pendemic, more recently in The Crow of Minerva and has publications pending in Sledgehammer and Impspired.