And "Tea!" she said in a tiny voice
"Wake up! It's nearly five."
Oh! Chintzy, chintzy cheeriness,
Half dead and half alive! (From: Death in Leamington, in John Betjeman Collected Poems )
Nurse is not aware. 'She' will never again drink tea. I'm not keen on poetry; although I've always thought I should be more interested in it. My 1976 copy of the Collected Poems, a present from a friend, has however, been read on and off over the years. Death in Leamington has been a favourite, not just because it is the first in the book! It evokes something of another world and its gentle irony sticks in the mind. The third line above seems deeply ironic. It feels like a life ended and a life wasted.
We do not know the identity of the dead person. She's dead and so has no identity. Nurse is alone although she is not aware of the fact. Most of us have to face the reality: 50 years after our death, we will not be remembered. Maybe a Facebook profile deep in some memory bank but in time even the memory banks will fail. Ultimately we are all alone, just like nurse.
Comments