Memories of my childhood Such as they are Are delicately preserved In a mind warped jar Comprised of scraps Of shards and clippings Of disconnected rememberings Coming home from school Greeted by the promise of gravy-laden food Begging for a taste with bread The sound of the a football match Drifting up from the TV to me in bed Family arriving to visit in the lounge Lingering on the landing to the sounds Of everyone arriving and stowing coats and hats Sure of hugs and exclamations to come after that Jokes over the dining table Helping to clear up Much less than I was able Getting extra credit For helping in the kitchen The best moments The ones spent together preparing A childhood filled with love, with caring. With careful choices and sometimes raised voices. With kisses and terms of endearment And with all the encouragement Needed to feed a growing girl For 18 years this was my world Safe familiar, secure provided for. Not videoed minute by minute No scrapbook with everything in it No Facebook page coming of age No instagram feed No story to read But strands of every memory Making up me.
