Fresh Blood

The Mayor addresses his audience,
how fortunate we are to live in the open-
minded and harmonious Smugton.

It was a valid point, I had to agree.
Look what happens in villages nearby.

People living in Lower Tranquil-by-Day
still didn’t mix with the “riff-raff”
of Upper Tranquil-by-Day, the new estate
build at the end of the 1800s.

In the good old days, members from each side
would fight by throwing logs at each-other,
entertainment for the village fair.

Just last week, a lady I bumped into outside
the shops told me how they say her family
would only become full, paid-up members
of Bonny-by-the-River after six generations.

How many of you have at least one grandparent
born in our lovely townlet? the Mayor asks.
Three-quarters of the audience raise their hands.

How many of you have two grandparents
from here?
Half of the people raise their hands.

Three. Even less hands.

Well, this is a sign of true progress,
he goes on, a smile from ear to ear.

Fresh blood in our community.

Doryn Herbst

Bios and Links

Doryn Herbst,

a former water industry scientist in Wales, now lives in Germany and is a deputy local councillor. Her writing considers the natural world but also themes which address social issues. Doryn has poetry in Fahmidan Journal, CERASUS Magazine, Fenland Poetry Journal, celestite poetry, Poems from the Heron Clan and more. She is a reviewer at Consilience science poetry.