Magdalene and the Letter 1965.

The letter was from her mother, 

a long-winded epistle 

mostly about her father, 

which she skipped, 

and how Martha’s mother 

had been unwell 

and Martha was coming home 

from the convent 

after a disagreement 

with the abbess. 

Her mother said little 

about herself, 

she seldom did, 

part of her Catholic childhood 

being brought up 

by strict parents 

and putting self 

last if at all. 

Magdalene folded up the letter 

and put it back in the envelope. 

The day before Mary 

had written one of her long 

poorly written scrawls 

which she read 

with all the dedication 

of a scribe. 

She sipped her 

early morning coffee. 

A cigarette was held 

between two fingers 

awaiting for her lips. 

Work last night 

had been slow and boring; 

the restaurant 

was usually busy, 

except last night. 

She inhaled 

cigarette smoke. 

Maybe she ought to read 

what her mother said 

about her father; 

it might be important. 

She took the letter out again 

and re-read it. 

Her father 

had cancer. 

Even though 

she and her father 

had a poor relationship 

it kind of hurt her in a way 

she thought could not happen. 

She would write 

to her mother later 

and express her sadness 

about the cancer. 

The future took on 

a different perspective, 

oddly coloured in black and white. 

She wondered 

if her mother 

would handle 

the cancer news all right.