Poem Number 249 - My Department..... - 2/2/1988

This has been an on going argument,

Which started on such a serious note.

It was on the week that we had just signed the lease for the flat,

And things were being done whilst one was at work.

I left the purchasing of furniture and necessities,

With firstly, my wife jointly with my mother,

As each day came to end both at work and in the flat,

I grew tired and restless in not seeing what was being purchased.

There was a round dining room table,

Complete with dining room chairs,

A coffee table, extra food and curtains:

To me occurred too much to get!

It was good that on the Friday before moving in,

All three of us sat altogether to listen,

I was being honest in what I said that night,

And that was firstly I trust them both,

But I wanted to physically see where money was being spent.

Maybe, I had a feeling of greed or distrust,

But I was told the kitchen was ‘ Nirmala’s department’!

So I replied saying, ‘What do you mean by that?’

Mum answered, ‘Who will spend most of the time in the kitchen?’

It was true that Nirmala would spend more time in the kitchen,

But wouldn’t it be fair to ask the same question, for each other room?

I didn’t ask them that question due to decency,

So I let this matter lie ‘under the table!’

Eventually a week or two passed and I was asked to get a copy of the garbage key, cut,

So I said, ‘This is my Department!

Since you have your department, I also have mine.’

But this wasn’t taken too lightly and tempers arose.

So much so, that I mentioned it to my mother one night,

And after a few tempered phone calls from myself,

The air and atmosphere left me on my own,

Not even my wife backed me up a hundred percent!

SO NOW, WHO’S GOT WHICH DEPARTMENT?