Varsity Verse: Relief

Violet‘s poet in residence returns with a particularly positive appraisal of relief

Verity Josh-Hewitt

Relief takes various formsClaude Alleva

You don’t know where to look.

You sit beside him, twisting, like a screw. Steamed glasses and the chatter of the next table.

You remember his –

No

You remember his word as he left. The screw flies free.

 

Find me a better feeling than relief

When you wet your lips with that first pint

Pushing away the poxy work of the day

Daring to drink at last

Don’t try to tell me I’m not relieved.

You think about every gesture you’d made, every glance, every silence

Every bad joke. Catch your breath at your own foolishness

 

And exhale. They say –

Write, and it goes

Like a spell. You bury the words, the niggling thoughts,

You clear the mind. Weeks of ache and anger

Frustration, confusion, falsity fall back

Your mind awash, murmuring freedoms and thoughts

Relief rushing down your body, blasting away the blemishes

The torrent taking the ills with it –

then

You can wallow in the relieving waters

And lounge in the lake of No More