She has to pull up
as she’s overheating
Her engine sputters
the dashboard’s beeping
She’s burning up and burning out
worn and way past her best
Struggled to get through
her last annual test
She’s found it more arduous
as she gets older
She’s ground to a halt
on the hard shoulder
Lifts her bonnet
and lets the steam release
Slumps down on her chassis
and hisses in relief
She lays by and calls for aid
but recovery is hours away
Even for a lone female
of a certain age
After a refill of chill water
and some time alone
she revs herself up
and makes it home
But next time
she reckons
The scrapyard
beckons
This poem is included in the book, The Big J vs The Big C: issues, experiences and poems in the battle against breast cancer
