White haired and gay in London

with that determination born

of fleeing from Vienna

A Jew breaking up her life

 

Her echoing flat crammed

Zed-beds  put-u-ups and bedding

in every room and corner  Waiting

Visitors always Welcome  Welcome

 

-

The gas and charnel-house

taking her family future

Remaining bones white-lining paths

Crunching underfoot like sea shells

 

-

A sister  an extended cousin  

Stayed a while  On breezes floated

one sailed to America

one - hollow-centred - to New Zealand

 

-

Her cruise ship docking in Southampton

to a seventies rail strike  Passengers travelling

no further home than London

filled every zed-bed  put-u-up and sofa

 

Partied  Welcome  Welcome  for three long days

Ghosts of Miriam and Hymie  Solomon and little David

sharing chicken soup   steaming up

hovering above each sleeping person

 

-

Wresting her body and faith

away from Jehovah's blank face

She put it into people  Welcome  Welcome

Smiling and laughing fifty years beyond Vienna

 

-

Ranked in Golder's Green  Red brick

Crematorium number four bore the name  Gretl

Replaced by someone else's twenty minutes later

Flocked friends remembered her  Welcome  Welcome

Returning to her home with chicken soup and laughter

CPR 1997