Uncle Poem by David Lewis Paget

‘Good riddance, ' I muttered, under my breath
As they closed the coffin lid,
My father clipped me around the ear,
Then said: ‘He's just a kid!
He shouldn't be here at the funeral,
It's not a place for the young.'
But I knew better, and glared at him
He knew I'd wanted to come.

Just to be sure and certain that
He'd never be coming back,
I'd skipped and pranced in my attic room
When I heard of his heart attack,
I'd crossed my fingers, muttered to God
‘Can you please take him away! '
But it took a couple of weeks before
His heart had stopped that day.

He'd stood so tall in his overcoat
And his form had filled the door,
He cast a shadow all over me
As I glared down at the floor,
His eyes were piercing, brows were grim
When he said, ‘How's Jack the lad? '
I felt like saying ‘Terrible now! '
He made me feel so bad.

My heart would drop to my boots when he
Came calling in the rain,
He'd chat a bit with my mother, then
Would climb the stairs again.
He always came, and he'd close the door
So I'd feel both sad and trapped,
He'd say, ‘…you happy to see me lad? '
But when he left, I clapped.

I thought of him as a monster with
His long and pointed teeth,
He looked like a picture of Dracula
When he grinned, they called him Keith.
I knew he was mother's brother, but
He came from a different mould,
From something evil and slimy like
A demon, I'd been told.

My friend was into the evil ones
And he picked him right away,
‘He's one of the demons of Beelzebub,
That's why he wants to play.
He'll back you into a corner so
You'll never get out the door…'
My friend was right, and gave me a fright,
Though he was only four.

My mother, after the funeral
Had cried and hugged me close,
‘You shouldn't fret, or cry my pet…'
I thought ‘Oh yes, that's gross! '
I stood looking out of the window
At the last of the winter rain,
If only he hadn't pushed me aside
So he could play with my train!

1 February 2013