Signs Of Freedom

seem to be few in the world I now live in.
I saw one very quiet sign the other day,
whilst having my packed lunch
before going the the cinema
in the student area of Belfast;
two young men walked along 
a quiet street, holding hands in public
-an act as simple as it was powerful
in a world where complexity
and 'We can't because....  '
stops everything, all too easily.       

Deathwatch

At the tills of my local supermarket
I returned to talk with my favourite cashier.
He is always a tonic after trawling the isles
for my few items, that takes ages to find.

He had a florescent green strap on his wrist,
on it there were lights that were flashing.

I asked him about this, and he replied
'It monitors my health, whilst telling me the time.
It was sold to me by my health insurance.
They lower the premium which I pay them
when I wear it....  '.

'Oh' said I 'I thought that it was the watch
that would tell you when you were going to die,
as sold by technologically advanced undertakers.'.

We laughed at our mutual incomprehension,
and joked about 'best before' dates for humans,
as if we were similar the stock of the shop.
The conversation ended with me speculating
which of my relatives we might send
this undertakers watch to, for Christmas.

He knew nothing of how deeply
the false cheer of Christmas sales
depresses me, beyond belief.

We both knew that he would soon
be stacking shelves with Christmas stock
but his all-year-round cheer was better.