Grandmother
I remember you fondly
A memory I cling to
Clinched in the fist of a child
Time you always had for me
Until we were robbed of our time
But this memory I still have
And I cherish it
For all time
Tag Archives: Happiness
First Days of Spring
First day,
I felt the warm sun on my face,
Didn’t have to wear a overcoat,
Heard more ‘g’d mornings’ than I had been accustomed to,
Saw that the flower buds were peaking, readying to flower ‘n’ bloom,
Heard the birdsong of the morning more vividly than ever,
Noticed that I could watch the female form walk in various stages of undress, all day long;
Had to remind myself to act my age and not stare, more than a handful of times;
Spring does literally put a spring in everyone’s step;
Absence, obviously, makes the heart grown fonder;
And now that the sun has returned home from its winter wars in the south (as it usually does this time of the year),
We have more than the solitary letters home that kept our spirits up through the long winter months;
The northern hemisphere is about to turn en mass into a cult of sun worshippers,
For the next five months at least, before this faithful soldier goes off to war yet again,
When we’ll have only it’s irregular letters to keep us company over the cold winter months once more;
So, enjoy the view while you can,
Get out there:
Play, be merry, and catch-up on all the to-dos;
For everything is temporary,
And in these unpredictably inclement times (termed variously, as el nino, climate change, et al),
You never know if and when the sun may be recalled to the war front early.
Final Game!
Churning stomachs,
Frayed nerves,
A rollercoaster-ride with each ball,
Whack-it, smack-it, glide-it into/over the boundary;
Keep the runs ticking;
Whatever you do, just don’t give your wicket away!!
Watching your team play a world cup final, can seem like experiencing a near-apoplectic nightmare!
Suddenly however, the tension eases:
When you see your opponents are far more tense than you are;
When all goes well;
And, lady luck shines her spell,
The elation hits you for a six so high,
You don’t ever want to come down!
Christmas Eve!
I’m making my way home for christmas, with memories swirling around,
Passing carollers, couples and families, making their way to midnight mass near Muswell Hill;
Some of the parishioners have the distinct whiff of pub-crawlers who’ve been turned out at last call!
An eclectic mix to be certain celebrating a common bond,
While I am not of this faith, I find my natural cynicism washed away by a wave of optimism in any case,
Fuelled by a shared heritage that’s crept up on me unexpectedly over time-
I may not be a wide-eyed child any more, my fondest memories tend to still surround:
Turkey, gravy, crispy roast potatoes and stuffing with extra sage please!
Minced pies, Christmas pudding, doused with brandy, and set alight to a gentle blue flame-
Voraciously gouged down with generous dollops of clotted cream!
Accompanied by mulled wine and appetisers, until your stomach literally strains to keep it all in!
Watching the Queen’s annual message at 3:00pm feeling more uncomfortably full than civic;
Followed by the Christmas Movie and the Eastender’s Double Bill, joining in with a collective mock-gasp at the inevitable shocking end!
No, it’s not the food (though, I can’t help but look forward to it);
Or, the memories (which are a mixed bag, if I am honest!);
Or, even, the veneer that comes from reflecting through rose-tinted spectacles, at greener pastures, that weren’t truly green at all,
What I am truly looking forward to this christmas is: to spend some time with my family, and not a mention of work, if I am lucky!!