Grub Up

Getting up at three,
I put my shoes on the bed
left a hot tap running
and toothpaste top off,
didn't flush the loo
or replace toilet paper.
Walking downstairs
I floored some rubbish
left the fridge door wide open,
food wrappers everywhere,
and milk on table.
Old dirty plates whispered their pattern
through dried tomato sauce.
I balanced some waste
on an open, overflowing bin,
then wandered out to sit
amongst the two foot grass stems
in the rotting deckchair,
surrounded by wilderness roses,
and multi-coloured pegs
discarded from the line.
I chucked my filthy clothes near
the washing machine
borrowed some money I'd never return
and later, got a lift a few miles
at midnight…
then suddenly
like a whirlwind of remembrance
I looked in the grubby mirror
and realised I was no longer
a teenager.

Jerry Pike