My Home

Here,
Fishermen, hardened by cold seas, haul baskets of fish, crabs, lobsters
onto unforgiving stones.
Bankers, softened by the warmth of buildings, take out a cool hundred from the cash machine
for a few drinks after work.

Here,
Children at the private school revel in tales of snorkeling, waterskiing and surfing
in the Caribbean.
Toddlers and pre-schoolers sit in a black-painted, darkened room, watching television.
For hours.

Here,
Bright young things, fuelled by alcohol, giggle and dance the night away,
remembering nothing by morning.
The elderly sit in residential homes, staring at walls, surrounded by too many people,
Keeping company only with their memories.

Here,
Those who have travelled the world, experiencing exotica, safaris, sunshine,
mingle on the High Street with
the young and old who have never travelled off the Island
save, perhaps, for the unhappiness and stress of a hospital visit.

Here,
contradictions in wealth, education, politics,
concern for family, neighbours, the community -
Threaten to overwhelm our future.

This was second runner-up in the last quarterly Writelink competition. What fun!

PS: it appears as 'Problem' on the website