Taboo

There, in the middle of the vehicle free road, she lulled herself, slowly and gently, back, and forth to the rhythm of her rocking chair, as she sang her song in earnest defiance, strident, misquoted words of randomly recollected hymns, but she cared not a damn. Perhaps we should all have joined in form a kind of manic impromptu congregation right there, right then, instead, neighbours looked on and whispered. Next day she would be gone taken to Jenkins. Even us children knew what that was. When she did come back, nothing was said The word was never going to exit anyone’s mouth, Ssssssh - no one dared mention it but everyone knew ….. mother was mad.