She Knew How We Should Live Our Lives

Her mother should…. His dad should…. Those parents should…. She was full of advice Old lady on the hill. Unwavering pumiceous ideas oozed out of her Her pores were full of ideas for the rest of us Savagely spoken and with Great authority she told us all how to behave And how to rear or children What clothes we had a right to wear What books we should avoid She had never held a job or met a man She did not have girlfriends. Perhaps they had run away? I was completely amazed at her overzealous self-confidence She was bossy and arrogant. Knowing how we should all live our lives Odd from a woman who had never lived But the town was used to her This odd woman who had lived with her long-suffering parents until they died to get away from her. The coroner had written “died to get away from their daughter” on each of their death certificates.