The gas man cometh,

steely eyed and no laughter

in their ice cold veins

but a sense of duty abounds

to stop the whiff of pissing gas

blowing us to Kingdom come.

 

The new cooker gets installed,

not a monumental day in the life of all,

but the safety of normality is ensured

as being able to grill bacon,

which they say too much meat will murder you,

and ignite the hob

without having to use a faltering Bryant and May,

brings saliva rushing to the lips

and the lost appetite of thousand forgotten

boiled carrots and turnip raging at the oven door.

 

For the love of a grilled sausage, the new cooker

gets installed, the test for gas, unable to be

noticed by the anosmia, fulfilled

and the horror of the bleeding sleep

averted.

 

It is the normal we cling to,

the thought that somewhere our lives

will always continue,

that the day to day

will be the day today

and that normal, the regular flow

will be…

not to lose grip

on the valve that regulates routine.

 

Ian D. Hall 2015