Confidence, Fading ...

There was once a girl

She strode into the room, all smiles,

Brown curly hair,

And an air of confident efficiency.

*

She ordered diaries,

She phoned suppliers,

She spoke to people

With calm authority.

*

She spoke out against injustice,

She spoke her mind.

No one escaped her

Objective opinions.

***

There was once a woman,

She spoke gently to the frail and lost,

With compassion and tenderness.

She got things done.

*

Files filed,

Paperwork completed.

Down the pub after work,

A vodka and orange, then home.

*

To take care of the apartment,

And her tortoise-shell cat.

She took care of herself

With a daily morning swim.

***

There was once a Mum,

With her little girl, who went to meetings.

She spoke up when necessary.

She said her piece.

*

She got her certificate

For work in the community

She married her love,

She thought she’d find peace.

*

Peace didn’t come,

Turbulence abounded,

Eventually a quietness

In silence, a peace.

***

There once was a gran,

She stayed in her house,

Sometimes in a room,

She stayed there all day.

*

There were big, loud men-boys,

With big, loud opinions.

Her voice was quiet,

So often unheard.

*

So this is goodbye

To the confident girl,

The woman who spoke out,

The Mum who won prizes.

***

Grey hair and wrinkles,

Mean largely ignored,

Opinions worthless.

Laughter follows a word.

*

Exasperated shouts when she didn’t hear,

Slowed down explanations

To make the message clear.

Muttered expletives that still reached her ears.

*

All that I’ve done, does it really matter?

The skills that I’ve gained,

To them, it’s just chatter.

And sometimes you know, I don’t even dare

to open my mouth

Because, really, who cares?