It may be a bad-memory place
or a livid-eyed face
It may be a withering frown
It may be a case of road rage
or a painful piece on a page
that brings back being put down

It may be a booming loud voice
or the sudden slamming of a door
It may be a pic from the past
It may be a fear of being late
or a boss who’s irate
that brings it all back in a blast

It may be a feeling I’ll fail
or not liking how I look
It may even be a fear to try
It may be a hole in the door
or that rip on the floor
that causes a tear from my eye

It may be a feeling nothing is best
or that I can’t do it right
It may be taking time to let go
It may play on my mind
a look or word that’s unkind
but still I’m determined to grow.

 

Margaret O’Driscoll is an Irish poet, mother of seven, grandmother to eleven. Her poetry has appeared in various journals and anthologies worldwide and has been translated into many different languages. Her first collection ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free’ published on Bloomsday 2016, has received star reviews.