Two Poems for Ela

by Paul Martin Freeman (September 2024)

Ela’s Tattoos
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Two tiny hummingbirds that never meet
But ever for each other yearn in vain;
Forever on their own and incomplete,
Fulfilment fated never to attain.
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Each one upon an arm rotates its wings
Intent on union with its soulmate there.
Alas, of thwarted hopes alone it sings
In timeless silent anguish and despair.
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What sadness is there can compare with this:
Denied the joy all living things desire?
For never will these lovers taste a kiss,
Nor feel within that wondrous sacred fire.
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Staying sane
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She sprays the tables; gives a careful wipe
And looks around the cafe now and then.
Another lot today had had a gripe
And Ela had to bite her tongue again.
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It may be cleaning tables isn’t much:
Removing sticky bits of someone’s meal;
But when she works she somehow feels in touch
With something in herself she knows is real.
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The world’s a puzzle, Ela’s come to see—
It’s full of customers who just complain!
But doing this, her mind can wander free,
And cleaning’s Ela’s way of staying sane.
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