Fever burns within a young heart
The melancholy of standing low
The treachery of forgoing hanging upside down on a jungle gym
Sometimes vertigo is the only way to go
Another crease upon a brow unmoved by your tomorrows
The maître d pours what the patron repeatedly asks for
From time to time he grows tired of offering something else,
though mercifully, he will never stop
Because offering is what he does
A ticking clock frightens an ageing heart
I can’t take back what I said to my brother
I can’t take back that I ran for cover
But I can be the hungry lion who invites him to eat first
I can be the hungry lion who invites him to eat first
“Maître d, tell me more about the specials of the day,
…you have my permission to set this tongue free from its prison of same”
Bernadette Richards is from Cape Town. She is inspired by diverse forms of art and believes that creativity is one of the best forms of therapy. She writes bits and bobs, including songs, and sings while strumming her nylon-stringed guitar