...Joan, i will sit down to say this. m'lady this one is a doozy. a knee-slapper o' acceptance, hurt, strength, stoicism...honour!...yet too is a stifling air seen, i think existentially we all are in search of either our identity[and some people won't allow that], or what's-it-all-about, Alfie? a solid piece, i saw the couple, and saw them disappear as you sat in front on tne last line, that's when those of us on front row stood.

An iconic couple - how this takes me back! I can hear their voices clearly - and your use of their relationship as a contrast is excellent.

Oh,my God! Joan, this piece is so remarkable. I swear unto the heavens I have rarely been so touch. You love as much as Archie does. Amazing grace is what guides your pen.

The last stanza is like a shot in the jaw...and the gut-wrenching truth of the rest is its perfect complement. The episode where Edith dies and Archie is sitting on their bed with her slipper in his hand, lamenting the loss, remains vivid to me. I know what you're going through, Joan...I watched a mother endure the same for decades.