They dipped in Serpentine with shoes
The leaves of Autumn sail side up
And children, four, remember now
In pleasure, wind swept, hair filled days.

Love Mary xxxx

I see you tot, you wobble a lot
On balancing legs along the edge
Holding chains you do it again
And kiss curls brush your face.

Love Grandma Mary x

Let’s play dear brother
As we never did before
But with an understanding
Together once more.

Out in the garden
Climbing the trees
Drawing and painting
Just you and me .

Love Mary x

On the seat my legs would swing
letting a shimmer of party dress,
Under light coat, catch the light
Of the humid Summer sunset.

Outings rare as we waited the
Twitch of electricity, flashing,
And the train rolling into view
Coming around a sharp bend.

Lifting possessions we boarded
Finding a seat near the window
Watching the sodium lights
Turn orange in the darkening.

Watford to Euston in twenty minutes
Only one stop at Harrow and Wealdstone.
We disembarked through ticket barriers
And up the sloping tiled floor to Euston.

Love Mary x

I wonder where I was all those years ago
Not a twinkle in a soldier’s eye
Nor the girl who took the guides
To them I became a surprise.

I lay down on grasses green
With Pooh and Eeyore
In Hundred Acre Wood
Hope Eeyore has his balloon.

In my mother’s bookcase
Is where I would be born
In the names of wildflowers
And the songs of the birds.

My father’s walks in London Town
Hyde Park Corner, The Serpentine,
Visits to family in Chester Road.
This is where I would learn to know.

All those years ago I never knew
Who I might be coming to
But never was there a single regret
The couple that loved me were the best.

Love Mary ***

A watermelon green on shelf
One tomato in isle two
And your hands to fetch
Your legs, a letter in box.

What I give you poor as I am,
A box of meteorites, a magazine,
A kiss on cheek, a hair cut or two
I would, everthing, for love of you .

Love Mary x

Can you catch me brother
Down in the ditches
Before I fall
And scrape my knees.

We’ll do our special
Where you go first
And I travel behind
Holding your hand.

The branch was shiny
Smoothed by rubber
And small greasy hands
Not too long to stand.

And we balanced along
A ballet dancer’s song
Feet repeating steps
And LEPT!

Love Mary x

One each end of a shelf
Victorian figurines
A boy and girl
Like crystalline
With stiff edged lace.
Never fell in love
But still precious
Bought by a Godmother
Who did not have children.

Then the plaster dancers
Spied in a box of my father’s
Given by a poor grandmother
Loved these two
With their net “tutus”
Such graceful arms
Long pointed legs
Felt their life twirling.

The difference between
Two worlds
The rich and stiff
Poor but beautiful.
My bedroom shelf,
With a poster of
**** Jagger,
in the middle,
smiling.

Love Mary x

I am nothing beyond the starry sky
Just an atom in the fiery furnice
Smaller than a telescope can hit at
I once was a girl who moved in air
Kissed a boy and jumped for joy.

My days are gone for others to steal
Maybe someone with a face like me
To begin a story they nearly knew
And burst upon universe in flames
A daughter for someone to rename.

Love Mary x

On the bench sits Roger
My lovely old codger
Long, silky, grey hair
A beard that rambles
Everywhere,
Two soft, brown eyes
Gentle hands
A book to read
That is my man.

Love to Roger from Mary ***

The children stood the sea beside
In toes the seaweed hair
A row of beauty just begun
To float a sparkle in the air.

Love Mummy **

I think I’ll call her Griselda or Florentine of the sea
She is lovelier than a star fish with eyes of green
And hair twists around this, brown ringlet, queen
Constance of graciousness a madamoiselle’s dream
Mood matches her dresses, bohemian with a spark
And nothing deters that subterranean love heart.

Love Grandma to Connie ***

Here you are, our baby
So wanted, not expected
A little son, quietly there
In your cot, just by me.

And daddy lifts you
Bright in the morning
To see your first day
Over the chimney pots.

You are our newness
Opening the world
With your tiny hands
And we welcome you.

To Arlo
Love from Mummy and Daddy