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My Clanking Keys

Stop your keys clanking as we walk she said.
Stop that noise...it’s getting on my nerves.
Inside my pocket
I wrapped my fingers round my keys
And silenced them.

And we walked on...past Barniskey church....small solemn grey...
Looking down over the sweep of the valley towards the Irish Sea.

I haven’t slept for nights she said
Mo’s bad. Autistic to a peak
...door opens... shuts...door opens... shuts...

Light on Light off...footsteps to and fro
Back and forth...
All night long...Without a pause...
Repeating ...repeating everything

I haven’t slept at all..

I felt the keys within my hand...
The sound of them in movement with my step
Clank , clink...clank clink
Repeat repeat...
It made her frantic.

Kristine Byrne 4th Jan 2012

Poems - 2012