A Life of Anxiety

 

The family fled into the

air raid shelter

leaving my mother behind

in a state of undress

fumbling in the dark

Sirens wailed

anti aircraft guns barked

search lights scanned the sky

the drone of approaching bombers

Eventually she left the house

by the kitchen door

as an incendiary bomb

fell and exploded in front of her

She screamed and fell back

into the darkened house

Air Raid wardens

came to her rescue

Fraught ,she was bundled

into the shelter with

the rest of the family

This was the beginning

of a life plagued by anxiety

at all levels

Years of tranquilizers

She died taking fourteen different

tablets every day.

A life ruined by war