Ending

Warminster Council wanted to demolish
their outside toilet. Peacenik Irene refused,
figured she and her husband wouldn't have
to think about bungalows, plus the guarantee
of fresh air. This paid off, as Jack lived
to eighty-four and Irene was eighty-nine
when cancer arrived. Driven to a restaurant
for her ninetieth, she gave a speech, banged
on the table and dished out advice to everyone.
Always maintained she didn't feel any pain
but when blood was regularly coughed up,
spent two days in Bath Hospital having tests,
then decided she'd move into a Hospice
where family, friends and pets visited.
One night called Nurse Janice over, whispered
she needed her help to go. Janice told her she'd
stay as long as she wished, but first she'd have
to leave and inform the on-call Doctor.
Irene laughed, explained it wasn't necessary
to disturb them, just because she now occasionally
required some assistance getting to the toilet.

Peter Ebsworth lives in Crystal Palace and is the editor of London-themed magazine South Bank Poetry. His poems have most recently been published in Brittle Star, Other Poetry, The Frogmore Papers, South, The Delinquent, and Under the Radar.