(for Mervyn Peake)

And it was her love
brought forth his joy
who took leave on a forged pass
when a sergeant denied romance
to visit his love the just bearer
of their second child
The joy of their love
negated the army's medical rejection
invalided out meant home
to write to draw to make love
family willing sitters
for fairy-tale illustrations
The fame did not come easy
Harsh critics tore at a sensitive mind
Senility is a hard case
for the young to swallow in the young
And it was her love
that caused more anguish pain
at seeing him drained of the forces
that transformed inspiration
into poetry
She does not talk now
of those days
remembers not the homes that weren't
thinks more of tea rooms
a Chelsea attic a country cottage
and a man whose sickness was Age

© Gerald England

Gerald England is a British poet, living on the edge of the Pennines.
He has been active on the Small Press Scene for 30 years and edits
the magazine Aabye. He has published eleven collections of poetry
and been translated into several languages, his last collection
"Limbo Time" published 1998. His work has also appeared in countless
magazines and on various websites.
Home Page: http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/ge