Heard in church

‘It’s cold today, but bright,’

she said. She knew him well

so why did she need

to talk about the weather?

‘Still, it could be worse,’

she said. I waited for

the cliched end: ‘Suppose

it could be raining.’ But instead

she said: ‘We could be dead

and then we would be cold

the whole year round.’ She knew

him well, she knew the doctors

couldn’t heal him, but she said it

all the same. ‘That’s cheerful!’

I replied. I heard him answer:

‘Well, it comes to all of us.’

Yes, I thought, but you at least

could do without reminders.

First published in Reach Poetry