Poem 171

Loosely based on the family of a friend of mine from primary school – eight kids, mum the lynchpin – that’s him getting his hair slicked into a side-part …

( I like the sense of life observed over the fence, the Fanta in straws and the double meaning/foreshadowing of parting … )

Neighbours

Sunday morning the kids are on the step
and mum’s shouting out
they've got to clean their shoes
church is only an hour off
and this one's in the choir
he's got to have an ironed shirt
George is slowly shaving
he doesn't care he's no success
such a cheerful man
the kids are running past the window
while mother shouts for them to change
she didn't sleep last night
with the baby
now dinner's on to boil
and all the dresses and the ties tied
the hairbrush wet with water for a parting
and George is whistling under the bonnet
mum wants a drive this afternoon

Wednesday morning and the kids are not in school
the house is full of relatives
there's even a tent out on the lawn
(mother was tired
she didn't see a car)
and some of them know to cry
and others are just wide-eyed
measuring lines of Fanta in a straw
George brings another couple of half-gallons
in from the car
looking bewildered by it all