In October sun on one of the benches
beside our local War Memorial,
directly opposite the new Co-op,
in mid-morning, an unknown man and woman,
dressed for outdoors and bulkily like folk
wearing many layers, are leaning together
in sleep like children, or marionettes.
Road traffic slows, pedestrians stare –
at adults kipping in seemingly clean clothes,
with brightly coloured backpacks by their sides,
before noon in a public, suburban space.
The sandstone cenotaph has last November’s
plastic poppy wreaths weathering at its base,
and among the names some still missing.
A bitter place to rest!
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By David Selzer