interest

there is a life of a kind in bitterness

bury it deep and nurture it well

it will repay you with interest

sour wrinkles, cynical sneers

the curling lip, the brooding frown

      the backward shadow

                  across your path

the future mired in distrust

there is a life of a kind in forgiveness

set it free and watch it fly

it will repay you with interest

 laughter lines, generous smiles

the curving lip, the wide-open eye

      the past in its place

                  where it belongs

the future light on its feet

Fran Brady -  on the tenth anniversary of ‘nine-eleven’ (11^th Sept 2011)