Sunshine. Coffee, Tea, 
Some bread... and Jam... 
And my unhappy mother.
At the end of the garden
Not long after my Father died.
My wife playing mother
Buttering the baguette.
And I at being a photographer!
Mother looked deep in thought
Peeking over the mug of tea.
Our white resin furniture
Now looking clunky and cheap
But state of the art at the time.
It looks as if there had been
Good weather by the state of the grass.
Why did mother look so angry?
Maybe Because she did not 
Want to have her photo taken!
Maybe I said, 'come on just one'
I can't remember now.
And to be honest I don't care,
Because when I look at this photo
all I can think of now
Is how I'd love to be 
Back in that time again.
I mourn the loss of 'then'.
Perhaps mother was thinking
Back to earlier days too,
Days when my dad was still alive?
She never said. There was just
This atmosphere of sadness,
Anger, and reluctance -
Of being in this new phase
Of her life without him.

More requiem that tea party!


© Griffonner 2026