It stayed in my head
from morning till night.
I couldn’t sleep.
All I could do was
walk around to try and solve it
but I couldn’t weep.
My only solace
was to talk to the bird
from my homeland
who would talk back
and seemed to help
Get me back on track.
I’d play the most meaningful
music over and over
and lose myself in the words.
These would prove
my saving grace
time after time.
That was therapy,
not pills and drugs
or taking me away
from my things,
and putting me in a box
with no contact
with my friends and family
to help me through the day.
And that bird,
I swear could talk English
“turn off the bloody light”
she used to say
and too right,
cos she got no sleep either,
in the middle of the night
whenever I was blue.
Partners in crime
That was true.
