I read this last night at ‘Wright Out Loud’ in Bolton. I have only just finished this, so it may be edited/refined some time in the future, but here it is, work in progress:
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Happy Christmas Mother
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‘Would you like a cup of tea? I asked Mother
As she slouched in her easy chair.
She stared into space with the telly on
Did she even know I was there?
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The Christmas adverts sang out in the darkness
(A lump in my throat I confess)
The shadows flickered the fairy lights flashed
The monochrome light hid the mess
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Well I’ve tried; I’ve extended the olive branch
I thought as I stirred her sweet tea
It’s always like this, it’s always my fault
The blame is left bluntly with me.
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Now’s not the time to reflect on my childhood
No success was ever enough
Always compared with some strangers off spring
No wonder I grew up so tough
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Christmas carollers sing loud on our door step
We hold hands, sitting silent and calm
‘They know we are here’ I whisper
As I quietly stroke her arm
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Raised and ruled with a rod of cold iron
Not an inch did she give it’s true
And even now you have to needle me
No love just hurt gets through.
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‘They’re gone’ I say as I peek through the curtain
The yellow lamplight fills the room
I move on through to the strip lit kitchen
So harsh compared to the gloom
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But there’ll be no more nagging from my mother
I look at the back of her head
The last tea you enjoyed was last Christmas
Two sugars and poison, you’re Dead.
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Somehow I know that you have forgiven me
The stench and flies have been a test
You would say we can get through it
Your sunken eyes in Sunday Best
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‘Would you like a cup of tea? I asked Mother
As she slouched in her easy chair.
She stared into space with the telly on
Did she even know I was there?
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(I wasn’t sure about the penultimate verse, is it necessary? What do you think? Please comment.)
The Scribbler 
Hi Sarah, that was themeatically very, very good you clever thing. I think the penultimate verse prepares you well for the final one so you should leave it in. ‘the sunken eyes in sunday best’ really eloquent, well done you. lol, Jo Mitton x x x
awesomely dark 🙂 the only thing I would rethink is the first line of the fourth stanza where you say now is not the time to reflect on childhood – the rest of the verse does exactly that. Great job!
But don’t people do just that, say they won’t bore you with the details and then do just that? Thank you for your comment.