Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Pat Gilbey

print this page

Looking Back

It was alright growing up in a council flat.
Ours were built in the 50’s
with bricks. Four storeys high, six flats to a landing,
a lift and stairs going up and down the middle.
Even though we were on the top floor
it was like living in a street:
when you opened the front door
the whole world was there.
Opposite was Kingsley Hall with a blue plaque
on the wall - it said Gandhi Stayed Here -
and we were invited there
to talk about what it was like
living over here in the flats. We had Bob’s park
with swings, a slide, a roundabout
and a rocking horse I cut my teeth on
trying to be Little Joe from Bonanza.
It was safe playing out in the square downstairs -
not many dads had cars - and Buster
showed us how to mend punctures.
I got a bike for my fourteenth birthday.
Mr Cook lived in the first house on the ground floor
and round the back was Cookie’s grass.
On Friday nights my mum washed our hair in Vosene
and put us out on the balcony to dry.
Sometimes we watched my dad come rolling home.
My dad enjoyed a drink,
most nights he preferred beer to us;
he never bothered to take his key,
and our hallway was scarred.
Still, it’s given me a bit of street cred
to say I came from a broken home.

 

Page(s) 13

Back to top