One fig and two pear trees
Asters and raspberries
Small pond, a rockery,
Tall hollyhockery,
Fork with one broken tine
Above the railway line.
Watch goods trains steaming by
Eye stinging smuts fly high
In 1953
My father’s aviary
Full of budgerigars
And broken pedal cars
A crazy paving path
My mother’s carefree laugh
The queen ascends the throne
On tv in our home
My brother gets knocked down
I watch him spin around
On coronation day
As we went out to play
The ambulance comes quick
Whilst I am feeling sick
To tell my mum I ran,
She left me with my nan.
We sit out in the sun,
She cuts a sticky bun,
Pours me some Tizer pop,
She even drinks a drop.
Pink blancmange and jelly,
Horse drawn coach on telly,
Queen waves through crowds at me,
And Richard Dimbleby.

Harry Rogers, in Harriboy’s Hut, 7th February 2017