Past Midnight

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#9999CC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="047005f0ezuabz.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Living Language</B></FONT><B>     </B></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCCCE4" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Living Language"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chasing the Sun"><U>Chasing the Sun</U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8bf000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Past Midnight</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In Anticipation of a Year Out"><U>In Anticipation of a Year Out</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="poem.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Christmas Tree"><U>The Christmas Tree</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04996963.gif"> <div> Past Midnight</div> <div> A poem by Sue Woodward</div> <div> <IMG SRC="061275d0.gif" border=0 width="39" height="93" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Past midnight</div> <div> She creeps unseen into the shadowed hall.</div> <div> Key ready</div> <div> Cold steel against warm ringed finger.</div> <div> Steady footsteps but beating heart</div> <div> Senses sharp</div> <div> She breathes in the dank mix of decay and stale perfume.</div> <div> The first landing reached</div> <div> She quickens her step towards her safe haven.</div> <bR> <div> Past midnight</div> <div> She sips alone her glass of cheap red wine.</div> <div> Fire lit</div> <div> Warm glow against cold grey wall.</div> <div> Steady hand but aching heart</div> <div> Senses numbed</div> <div> She stares towards the photographs on her mantelshelf.</div> <div> Memories long faded</div> <div> She bows her head and weeps her tears of shame.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>