21st

His birthday marked in flowers ,
a couplet in the local rag ,
no rowdy night or 'be careful' lectures ,
just questions squashed into a weighty "why?" ,
cast and lost in a gulf
now deepened by another year.
Empty of life's zest
the heart's just a clock ,
and rhythmical beats mark time
to this…..a difficult day .
There are no
flashing lights or breaking glass ,
but there's pain…..
there's impact.