Freedom, by Rose Mary Boehm

Photo by Rose Marie Boehm, the author.

Freedom
 
Once Herbert had dreamed of
being an artist. Instead
he collected books and magazines
in plastic bin-liners
during the greater part
of fifty years.
 
When he knew he was dying,
he showered only on Sundays.
 
In his small flat, taken over
by old newspapers, mice gnawed
small tunnels through politics,
culture, and false alarms.
 
One Sunday morning, Herbert
woke, a happy man. He grinned
while he shredded newspapers,
magazines and journals,
 
mixed them with water and paste
and sculpted himself
as an exultant, bright figure,
arms outstretched, poised
for dance or flight.

Rose Mary Boehm

Read another poem by Rose Mary in The Ekphrastic Review, here.

Rose Mary Boehm is a German-born British national living and writing in Lima, Peru. Her poetry has been published widely in mostly US poetry reviews (online and print). She was twice nominated for a Pushcart. Her fourth poetry collection, THE RAIN GIRL, was published by Chaffinch Press in 2020. Want to find out more? https://www.rose-mary-boehm-poet.com/