Memoriestoo Hard To Memorise Poem by kathleen bartholomew

Memories too hard to memorise

I’m left with memories
I cannot stand to memorise
even the happy ones
when me and the kids played footie on the lawn.
Joe taught me superb football skills and tricks with the ball.
‘Nan’s good’ he said,
James just laughed ‘Yeh! Right, ’ he led me
by the arm, to see his rabbit.

The rabbits were taken to a barn, -
there were two.
The fish were given away to-
I don’t know who.
I took the toys, to a car boot
for other boys, and Jackie had the food,
her four would devour that and more.
And their school! That had to go too
no more Catholic ballyhoo,
or open days when I was proud
to gaze at school plays.
and think that only I had Grandsons.

Yesterday, when I packed
away some old cards-
I found the one they had sent to me-
and there it is again tears in my eyes.
How can I be glad and wish them well
When I am going through hell?
-they must be too,
sometimes we do these things though.

By Kathleen Bartholomew (July 2006)