For Mike...

 


For Mike, on what would have been your 70th


A smile,

That's what I remember.

A smile,

Laughter, cheekiness and fun,

A joker in the pack of Higgs' 

As we sat around the table playing cards

Each Boxing Day,

In-laws and out-laws altogether,

Your wife Sue an out-law like me,

Wedded to a Brother of a Brother of a Brother of a Brother of a Brother,

A sister-in-law of a Sister of a Sister of a Sister,

Such a big family,

But we were all welcome at the table.


Cold meats and pickles 

Bags of coins, drinks and giggles,

Grandchildren, nieces and nephews,

Billy the Bulldog,

All sharing gifts and

Playing on the rug.


The years go by so quickly,

Young ones with their own young ones,

Elders gone, Sue and a year or so ago you too,

But the smile,

I'll always remember that of you,

I hope you knew how much it meant

To all those in that Sydenham semi's rooms.

And how, just like your Brother Ant

Celebrated his 70th, when we last saw you in '22,

You deserve to be remembered dearly

On what would have been your 70th too.


Thinking of you,

In loving memory.


The out-law among the many of us in-laws,

Angela.


27.11.2025



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

'Me' (or 'Poetry from a prompt-sheet', Jawbone 'Write to Speak' Workshop 22/06/25)

A writer's demons