in collection, Sunflower Equations, 2008,

Hearing Eye, ISBN: 978-1-905082-34-6;

Acumen, 2006, (& web-site Poem of the Month) 

Conundrum

That’s us, our Golden Anniversary,

five years before your father died —

left me with this predicament:

we always ate our eggs well fried.

I thought today I’d poach my egg.

Your Dad would kick up such a fuss,

on second thoughts I’d better fry it,

anything else seems blasphemous.

What is it with you girls today?

All this loose sex and quick divorce?

We chose the captain, climbed on board,

felt duty-bound to stay the course.

In my day women knew their place,   

your father had his fags and beer,

I had my kitchen and you kids,

the border-lines were all too clear:

I still make tea at four o’clock:

he’d watch the second hand and click

his fingers till I bought the tray,

God help me if the bread was thick!   

At nine fifteen he’d click until

I brought his orange, peeled and pipped,

at ten he’d click again for milk:

I learned to keep my tongue well zipped.

We didn’t talk of sex and stuff,

or kiss.  He’d grunt and say come on

and I did. It kept him sweet:

I’m shot to pieces now he’s gone.

June English

e-mail June

and in ppf shop online:
poem card -
Fragment

and in the shop ...
collections:
"Sunflower Equations",
and
"The Sorcerer's Arc", Hearing Eye;
"Counting the Spots",
Acumen

© of all poems featured on this site remains with the poet
site feedback welcome