Dream in the Past

A Dream in the Past

I am way back in the past, in my lovely dream,
Almost touch and smell, that lemon ice cream,
Chocolate powder and sugar, that was daily eaten,
Sherbet dabs, liquorice sticks, that could not be beaten.

The smell of the new sawdust, strewn across the butcher's floor,
Chickens, rabbits, were displayed, hung on the freezer door,
Fresh salted beef, pork sausages, whole carcasses of pig,
The memories keep coming back, on that time we lived.

Cheeses and butter in the grocers were upon the desk,
Sacks of raisins, beans, split peas, for sale, looking at their
best,
Tins of fruit, jams, marmalades were also to be seen,
Teas, coffees, spices, the aromatic aromas, put you in a dream.

Penny mix, also a cone of crackling from the chip shop,
This we thoroughly enjoyed, has now gone, what a shock,
Hair cut, at one and three, plus hair cream, special for to day,
Cost of living is sky high, but better standards are on their
way.

Smell of coal across the threshold, tells you the coalman's been,
Half a ton he's off loaded, and the mess he left can still be
seen,
Smoke from those railway engines, left a black and sooty taste,
But glad to be home around the fire, with its black mantel in
place.

Ovaltine or hot milk, was the last drink to be taken to our room,
Cold sheets expected, warmed when the drink was consumed,
Now I turn, hoping to see more of the past within my dream,
But reality has caught me up, its now coffee time with creams.

Roy Coppin