I was so very young
Grandma lived up the street
And smoked her cheap fags
Different world back then
Tobacco smell pervaded
Inside the house and out
Plants filled up the garden
First there were the veggies
Then fruit trees up the back
Outside toilet those days
Luckily it flushed though
Not just hole and bucket
With ivy climbing the walls
Trying to find the sky
Reaching up to the eaves
It was there I felt safe
First place I really did
Brother was a bully
Wise to keep out his way
In Grandma's crooked house
'Cos we were never friends
And no one else knew
Just her, me and her cat
She'd give me a cup of tea
Sometimes fruitcake too
Image found at www.peezpix.blogspot.com
Vivid images. Sad if they are recollections rather than inventions, though. It is a pity that bullying isn't more often detected and nipped in the bud at early stages.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you comments. Yes it is based on fact as my brother and I didn't get on and yes Granny lived a few doors up the street but artistic license is also used!
DeleteI love your grandma's house, and arms, being your secret hiding place! This is just the sweetest thing. I love it. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of tea?
That period was during WW2 Great Britain was under severe restrictions and shortages so tea was tea and a 4 or 5 year old wouldn't have noticed then anyway whether it was Brook Bond's or Typhoo which were the popular (cheap) brands then.
DeleteHappily you had a safe and comforting haven. So many don't.Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteNicely done. I like how you took us a long way in just a few words.
ReplyDeletehttp://soundofthewordnight.blogspot.ca/search/label/Sunday%20Whirl%20%23284
This flowed smoothly all the way through, Robin. I love your hiding spot.
ReplyDeletegrandma's house can be a refuge.
ReplyDeleteGrandma's place is still a safe place for many children even in these days when their parents have gone astray.
ReplyDeleteYou have painted such a wonderful picture with your words.