No Milk Today

When she's gone.

No Milk Today

Broken bottles,

shattered on rock.

Shards of sharp, slivers

of glass

slide and slice across

my heart.

An empty box

where nothing

exists, nothing grows;

a barren wilderness

full of inert gases,

blank pages,

no words,

no breaths,

not even sighs.

And here I hang

in cold mists,

my naked body

frozen

without pulse,

as my lungs

struggle for air.

 

25/09/17

Author's Note

The lyrics refer to the practice (common at the time) of milkmen delivering fresh milk to residential houses each morning; the love interest of the song's protagonist has just moved out, so the household needs less milk and the notice in front of his house instructing the milkman not to leave the usual bottle of milk today, while seeming mundane to passers-by ("how could they know just what this message means?") symbolizes the breakup to the singer himself ("the end of all my dreams").[3] Gouldman wrote this song initially for The Hollies, after he saw a "no milk today" notice outside a friend's house one day, and his father observed that this could have various reasons. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Milk_Today)

Reviews

[wordman]

great song john,,sounds like a hit

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ha ha, a tad late perhaps. All our milkmen have gone. Thanks Ron.

[wordman]

i know,is it really progress,, ? seems things were quieter and a slower progress ,more hands on i guess

[John Alexander McFadyen]

No milkmen/milkwomen were a real cultural statement so personally I rue their passing even if it is progress.

[Tony Jordan]

I hear this song on the local radio all the time (retro station). I'm sure the milk daily bottle situation were as smoke signals to other cultures. The blinds (open/closed at certain times of day was another)

I like how you interpreted the song John - very creative mate.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I remember it well lol!
You are most generous sir, many thank yous.

[Tony Jordan]

Watched 'On The Buses' movie. Old Stan the driver had a novel way of getting it on with a married woman - she hung out her frilly knickers on the line when the husband had went to work. Stan drives by - sees the drawers and 'parks the bus' (euphemism?? lol)