Baggage – A List Poem?

Spare vests and pants of yesteryear

are now accompanied by fear –

for are the correct chargers there

(and that reminds, night malt required)

for laptop, puffs and scooter, phone?

 

Sufficient tablets for the stay,

each waking, morning, tea time, night,

back-up in case, for some delay,

(though kids, their tablets anyway),

and tonic, diet, to wash down,

plus stockings, cream, in place of socks

which do not pressure, give support?

 

Some silk-patched sheets to turn at night,

unwieldy under-mattress-frame

to block my falling out of bed,

though dawning, high jump skills required –

a scissor kick, believe it’s called –

to lift both legs above the steel,

negotiate, ground threatened slide.

 

Mobile, for one not moving round –

it’s used, alarmingly, pill-time –

at least no I-phone – just not me,

though vapes that seem to dull the aches

with refills, menthol nicotine.

 

The fish, well-fed, timed heat and light,

for neons flash, short power cut –

a week’s long time, aquaria –

like politics; priorities,

replanting weed and netting dead,

unless one first puts kettle on,

remembering the socket’s off.

 

Such baggage comes with this PD,

the stick, blue badge, and RADAR key –

you know, the loo, I mean to say –

that scooter, battery on charge –

at folks who saunter in the way.

 

I scribbled checklist, envelope –

can’t read my quiver writing, still

fruit, veg means I’ve mixed shopping list,

though marrow useful for the bones.

 

So frankly, half-term, dusted down,

I can recline, feet raised on high

with buttons, plugs for chair, TV,

such great relief, back home, to be.