Milk-Money Door

Cherry

By Frances Macaulay Forde

Tue, 15 Mar 2022
  • 578 reads
7 comments
 

Milk-Money Door                                                   

                                                        

bright daffodil day

embarrassed parents

redundancy stamped

stand silent in the queue

for dole in happy sunshine

 

teleworkers gathering

gaze in compensation

 

young things pout

into hidden mobiles

hand held to ear  

stomach-bared

vogue on one leg

 

doesn’t open till ten

on no-job-yet Tuesday

 

pushy prams queue

harassed singles

loose children ram

legs poised on steps

to milk-money door

 

no kids picnic this…

never a thrilling event

 

there’s fetid foam

squashing through

smashed windows

rusted frames rot

ugliness everywhere

 

still… it’s the most

popular place in town.

 

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2003

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Sketching in Ireland

Comments

Submitted by Frances Macaula... on

Wow!  Thank you so much for the recognition.  Stay safe. 

Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/search?q=FrancesMF

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

I must confess that I am not at all familiar with the expression 'milk-money door'.but I guess that in this context it refers to the dole office where money for essential food, like. milk, can be claimed.
The only other definition I found was this: In the US, it used to be common for children to bring their lunches to school and then buy milk to drink while eating their lunches. The money used to buy the milk was called, “Milk money.”

Best wishes, Luigi x
 

 

Submitted by Frances Macaula... on

You're correct, Luigi.  Milk-money is an old saying - British I thought.  And yes, I used it to describe the battered door we were standing in front of.  I stood in the queue, not for the Dole but to get an Irish Identity card (can't remember why) and took out my trusy notebook and pen. Can't find the original card now... 

Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/search?q=FrancesMF

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Be nice if someone could take the trouble to cheer the place up! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Frances Macaula... on

Yes, I agree Rhiannonw, however, the look of the door illustrated the place perfectly - a perfect introduction, a warning...  Thanks for reading and commenting.

Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/search?q=FrancesMF

Submitted by Turlough on

Your words really set the scene for what is a miserable part of the routine in the miserable lives of many people. 

I've been lucky in my life and never had to visit one of these 'benefit' places. However, I've had to go to housing offices on English council estates to pay rent on behalf of other people and at that point I'd never been anywhere so grim. Many of the words you have used remind me of those traumatic trips.

Nice one Frances.

Turlough

Submitted by Frances Macaula... on

Thanks, Turlough.   I wish I could find that card, then I'd know what it would be for.   As a temporary resident in Ireland (a 14-month courtship) I think it must have been something to do with publishing my book there.  Perhaps for tax reasons?  

Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/search?q=FrancesMF