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The Hat

Mrs Gwendoline Bowles

Lives behind the tenth door

Along Jubilee Terrace

In the greyness of Bury.

Her neighbours know little about her except

That she moved in last year,

And is always polite

With her "how-do-you do's"

And shy smile.

 

At ten every morning

She appears on her step,

Underneath a wool hat

Of sky blue and red.

With a basket she walks to the shops

For a chop,

And a bottle of stout as a treat on a Saturday.

 

If the truth it be told,

The butcher and neighbours

Poke fun at her hat,

Behind her straight back,

And though she hears all the titters

She pays them no heed

As she opens the door,

Head held high,

In Jubilee Terrace.

 

Seven years have gone by

Since her husband's last note

Told of blue skies in Flanders

And acres of poppies,

And though her son never wrote

She expects he'd have seen

The same skies and red fields

As his father.

 

In the greyness of Bury

She wears her wool hat

Of sky blue and red,

And always she will,

For her man

And her boy.

 

◄ Nicole

Tom's Battles ►

Comments

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Jane Bozian

Tue 16th Jan 2018 12:11

This is wonderful Jim!
I can hear maybe Jake Thackray narrating it...please take this as a big compliment!

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M.C. Newberry

Fri 29th Jan 2016 16:19

I agree with raypool.
To put it simply - congratulations for giving us a reason to
remember and reflect.

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raypool

Fri 29th Jan 2016 15:04

I love the direct style that tells a story with the simple and compelling way you have used here.

Quite wistful Jim.

Ray

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Michelle

Thu 28th Jan 2016 18:57

awwww :'( lovely

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