When you're ripe, you'll bleed out of control

married to Steve

my neighbours on the block

he found her in the back alley

skirt pushed up arms around

another man inside her

& he admits he offered violence

being caught up in the moment

much like sweet Jane

later said had happened to her

she took the kids away

rented out on the edge of town

& Steve drank for a while

helped him he said

take the edge of pain away

the fella involved wanted no more

when someone else’s sweet Jane

became a needy homeless Jane

left her to find her own sweet way

& I watched her gentle slide

no more nails hair appointments

gossiping with the girls in salons

now working late bar shifts

early morning school runs

turned her blonde to faint grey

nobody the winner here

just mad moments

that can take everything away