Seren Thomas

SOFA

We sit on the sofa

The sofa that my brother and I
Once turned into a waterslide
We propped the cushions against the back
Positioned the hosepipe at the top
It was hours before you found us
Running round and sliding down  
We soaked the fabric through
Rightly, you were furious
Fleeing for our lives
I tripped at the top of the stairs
And you caught me as I fell
The fright of it killing your anger
Making you hold me close and forgive

We sit on the sofa

The gap between us so vast
That I might as well be somewhere else
Somewhere I don’t have to smell you
Hear your ever-hungry belly
Gurgling, burbling, bubbling up and
Boiling over, burning me, my skin
So blistered my trackies stick to my thighs
Later you’ll cut me out of them
And soothe my sores with savlon
You’ll stroke my hair
And sing in breaking croons
Your love was always too hot for me to handle

We sit on the sofa

Listening for that special song
To make us get up and dance
Stuffing oozes out of the seams
As we hop from foot to foot
Who can jump the highest?
You cannot bear to lose
Springs fire like cannons
Planks crackle and snap
A tired soul that’s seen too much
Comes crashing to the floor
And we’re thrown back, blinded, laughing
We’re kids again
Except you’ve never known what it’s like to be young

We sit on the sofa

The rain comes pouring down
And we’ve soaked the fabric through again
Droplets dry and sizzle up
When they land upon your skin
You flick them off like flies
On an airless summer’s day 
Puddles gather and swell
My lap grows heavy with watery hands
When the rubbish truck arrives
I swear they’ll have to take me too
Open up those rusty jaws
And stuff me in between them
Mash me up and break me down with the other broken things

We sit in the gutter

If you’ve taught me anything
In all these years
It’s that everyone deserves
A farewell that’s full of life and heart
As the lorry rumbles off
We broken things just smile and wave
My eyesight’s too bad to tell
If the mouth is grinning back

You pull me up
With clammy palms
And lead me into the warm
You promise me we’ll fix this

        –  Seren Thomas