Tom, A dialogue Options

[Arnfinn]

With thanks to Snow.

Same words different arrangement.

Thank you.
John



Tom

Tom, trapped in a world of smug acceptance.
The illiterate soul waiting
for Saturday and yester-years cartoons.
Tom, neurons strained by dim voltage,
pressured and screwed down to acceptance of no acceptance.

Existence is a blank page.
Institutional remedies reflect featured smiles,
and pats of good boy sentiments.
Good for whom?
Not for Tom.

Tom is an alcoholic—wants out for a drink.
Pressure—pressure—pressure.
He sits in the foyer… helping out where he can.
He craves a schooner.
He can see in his “minds-eye” the grey misty glass and the frothy head.

“No, Tom you cannot go out—no bus trips for you”.
“You sit in your chair and do something.”
He gives a smirk; can’t wait for Saturday.

John Macleod © 2012


Original:

Tom

Tom trapped in a world of smug acceptance.

Tom the illiterate soul waiting for Saturday and yester-years
cartoons.

Tom, neurons strained by dim voltage, pressured and screwed down to acceptance of no acceptance.

Existence is a blank page.

Institutional remedies reflect featured smiles, and pats of good boy sentiments.

Good for whom?

Not for Tom.

Tom is an alcoholic—wants out for a drink.

Pressure—pressure—pressure.

He sits in the foyer… helping out where he can.

He craves a schooner.

He can see in his “minds-eye” the grey misty glass and the frothy head.

“No, Tom you cannot go out—no bus trips for you”.

“You sit in your chair and do something.”

He gives a smirk; can’t wait for Saturday.

John Macleod © 2012

[Arnfinn]

Tom is in his 50’s, an illiterate, alcoholic, and temporary resident at a local aged hostel, was assigned to me. He loved farms; he grew up in a Catholic boy’s home, ‘a farming environment’, worked in the homes piggery from aged 8. Tom was a good bloke we had many enjoyable visits to all types of animal farms in the Berry district. On other occasions we would visit museums and special restaurants where we could sing- a-longs to old time songs.
Tom’s favourite pastimes was watching Saturday’s cartoons and doing Jig-Saw puzzles.
Tom’s favourite movie actor was the monkey in Clint Eastwood’s “Every Which Way But Loose”.
We had one thing very much in common we both shared the same birth date: 27, June.
If Tom liked something, anything, at all, it was— “spot on”.
Tom’s downfall is drink and if we happened to be in town or a city he would always tug my arm to go for drink before we reached our destination and would curse me at the knockback.

Tom has moved out of my area. He has moved up to Wollongong and is being looked after another volunteer group.

When I visited he seems to be (though fragile) holding up OK.

As I said-- Tom is a good companion and a friend.

Regards,

John