Paul Bell

Freedom

That sad lament flickering through her day

Buried deep, but not deep enough

Folded flag, a reminder of the love never returned

Death the escape, but still the prisoner

Married to the ego

Maybe both

The beauty queen, ugly inside

She heard the words. One ego, that’s a bang. Two egos, that’s an explosion.

He would wait for her; he liked her ugly side

How did he know the ending

She didn’t know, and she was living it

The flag, the medals, the shiny crown

He threw his medals into the river, went back to his old life

She didn’t understand how he could do that

He was part of it

They were all part of it

She was kidding herself

Like the crown that defined her

Living on memories

Waiting out time

She wanted life

The war hero’s widow

They would put that on her gravestone

She began to understand him now

He was free

He’d won his war

Now he was waiting for her to win hers

Her own freedom

The sun was shining the day she handed the flag and medals to his mum

The walk over the bridge would finally set her free

The crown didn’t make much of a splash

No bang, no explosion

Just so much more

He liked her ugly side

She liked that just fine.