Dust and Others

HAVEN'T I BEEN BUSY

When I was born, I became,
A daughter,
A granddaughter,
A sister,
A niece,
And a cousin.
I have not yet spoken a word
But a lot of people know me.

When I went to school, I became,
A pupil
My teachers taught me so much
For this I thank them.
A friend
We shared sweets and things
We still, after all these years, meet up for lunch.

When I married I became,
A wife
A daughter-in-law
A sister-in-law
Then best of all, a mum
I am now a mother-in-law
Hopefully one day I will become a grandmother.
But most of all I am myself.

DUST

Dust on the top of the wardrobe
How long has it been there?
What has it seen?
It will be gone in a wipe.
Maybe it's time to spring clean
Get rid of last years dust
Wouldn't it be good if we could
Wipe away bad memories
Like you can wipe away the dust
From the top of the wardrobe.

MORNING BREAK

Angela's was individually wrapped
Mine was wrapped in greaseproof paper
That had once covered my mam's loaf of bread
Why did I think Angela's would taste better than mine?
Mine was cold toast covered with best butter
While Angela's was chocolate biscuits
Both supplied by hard working fathers'.

DIAMONDS AND JEWELS

Some wear them round their necks
Some wear them on their fingers
I live with mine
My husband is my diamond
My children are my jewels
Two daughters are so precious
One son, born on my birthday
Most cherished are they all
They are priceless.

THE BARROW BOY

He's been working from the age of seven
Setting out his stall
Full of fruit and vegetables
No fingerless gloves for him
Just little red, chapped hands
Workers hands
His mam used to watch him from afar
And take him hot steak pies
From the cozy caf?.
He's fifty-seven now
With a few bob in his back pocket.

DEAD AT 38

She has been dead longer than she lived
Gave life to six, three sons, three daughters
All middle aged now
With grown up families of their own
But still they remember that night
Not many words are spoken
But the look and expression in their eyes says enough
Cannot think of her as eighty
Not when she was dead at thirty-eight
You never really get over some deaths
You just learn to get on
You live your own lives
Make the best of every day
When you can.