Matthew J. Hall

Their Sadness and Mine

Not all the faces I saw today were sad

they just seemed that way

The older gent on the bus

with his red potato skin feet in sandals

twiddling thumbs and sighing

And the shopping cart lady

in bright white face paint

mumbling into the wind

gibberish falling from both corners of her mouth

And the sad suits

And the lonely shirts

And the brogues tapping a dreary step

Today the skateboards and roller-blades seemed a little slower

two out of every three pigeons had one broken leg

or a missing foot

Children filed out of the schools in an orderly fashion

as though they were cueing at the ballot box

or clocking out of a long day in an abattoir

Not all the faces I saw today were grey

they just seemed that way

Sure each one has their share of sadness

fair or otherwise

But for the most part it was projected

by the eyes of their beholder

what's it worth

he didn't want to see his brother walk down hells' stony path

one fucked up and chiselled out soul is enough for any family

he had plenty to answer for already

leading a little one astray would be a step too far

but the cold crow squawked loudly in his ear

and the maggots were feasting on the last quarter of his soul

the youngster pulled a crisp ten pound note from his school-trouser pocket

and that was all it took  

Matthew J. Hall is an avid reader and writer of poetry and short fiction who lives in Bristol, England. You can read more from and about Matthew on his blog, www.screamingwithbrevity.com where he regularly shares his creative endeavours and highlights the work of those he admires.