OUR OWN

She came out concerned something had happened,
in the sleepy dark mis-reading the hour
had got scared everything would be different.
Marital disregard, the encroaching years that even make quarrels pall,
couldn't sleep for that awful moment
when a panic that harm might have come broke in.
Wear charms, mumble spells,
clasp beads or chant frantic rites,
anything to save us from our fears for our own.

© 2004 Alan Hardy