Your father was guided
by his moods. You were
non-plussed why he could
go from harsh father and
good hidings, to thoughtful
father talking of holidays
and joking with your mother
instead of battering her. We
sat on the grass in front of
Banks House. We shared
a bottle of lemonade bought
from the grocer shop up
Meadow Row. You twisted
the top and took first sip.
I wiped the bottle top with
my palm and gulped a few
mouthful. I had seen your
old man that morning on
the concrete stairs of
the flats. He spoke where
usually was silent; joked
where normally he would not.
You cleaned your glasses
with spit and the hem of
your dress. I gazed at you.
Your hair like your childhood,
unlike mine, was a mess.
Nov 12, 2017
Nov 12, 2017 at 11:08 AM UTC
Your father was guided
by his moods. You were
non-plussed why he could
go from harsh father and
good hidings, to thoughtful
father talking of holidays
and joking with your mother
instead of battering her. We
sat on the grass in front of
Banks House. We shared
a bottle of lemonade bought
from the grocer shop up
Meadow Row. You twisted
the top and took first sip.
I wiped the bottle top with
my palm and gulped a few
mouthful. I had seen your
old man that morning on
the concrete stairs of
the flats. He spoke where
usually was silent; joked
where normally he would not.
You cleaned your glasses
with spit and the hem of
your dress. I gazed at you.
Your hair like your childhood,
unlike mine, was a mess.
Boy and girl in London in the 1950s
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