Fish Wife - Diane Scantlebury

I once saw a woman on a crowded train
Unleash a tirade upon her husband,
And as he sat with head to his chest bowed low
I thought,
What right did she have to inflict such pain?
What could such a public display of ugliness gain?
Did a trauma past, a twisted seed sow?
To allow resentment and such bitterness to grow?

When the carpet of your time
Is almost worn threadbare,
To vent your disappointments and displeasure
On others hardly seems fair,
As I age I’d hate to become a garrulous fish wife
Like some around who quarrel, snarl and spit at life,
Instead I’d hope to be in tune with nature’s beauty
Be calm and tranquil, open to its clarity,
Treat loved ones, even if they annoy, with charity.

Diane Scantlebury