General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Part One:

1954 - 1968

1.

First memory
sitting on the big hill calling for my mother
the echo of my voice on the corner of the
street
late summer with the orange drawn curtains
in the dining room and my dad quiet at the little table
remembering the cemetery with the shuffling of feet and the mound of sand
stopping near the road under the trees
the sun going down at the top of the road
my mother baking in the small kitchen and putting apple pie
out on the window ledge
the smell of chocolate cake and beef and carrots
the plates being laid on the small round
table

2.

going to school down the avenue my mother's red coat
at home time
my sister Pamela reading to my class sitting in the big
chair
going home with my sisters up the hill in the winter dark
Christmas and the paper lantern low lights on the trees
in the houses the trees lit up in front rooms and hallways
running ahead to sit under the scented green tree and making
toast by the fire - remembering the silence of solitude for the first time
hoping no one will come
the cold house on Christmas morning - my mother making
pork sausage in the kitchen and singing Mary's Boy Child
going to Nana's big house in the dark and smelling her violet scent
in the long hall - auntie Joyce waiting in the front parlour by the big fire
the sandwiches on the blue flowered plates and pink and yellow cakes
on the metal stand

3.

going home in the dark and walking up the cold street
scared of the dark canal going under the road by the Honeysuckle
Dad carrying me on his shoulders going up Rose Hill
going home - going to bed and mum telling us to shush
at the bottom of the
stairs
snow falling on boxing day and eating Cadbury's chocolate flake after
tea
the smell of tangerines and oranges - the red apples being saved in the
corner of the front room

4.

lying in the downstairs bed - the fire putting shadows on the midnight wall
the long night and wanting morning to come - the light coming through
the front room curtains
Dr Coffey smiling sitting on the bed his heavy overcoat damp with rain
having to take the large tablets and wanting to choke
not being able to get out of bed and sleeping in the afternoon
an open window and the sound of voices - the smell of spring coming
through into the warm room
going back to school and being put next to red haired Vicky Thomas
her desk full of ribbons and white linen - everyone writing me a letter
reading each one and finding out that everyone wants to be my
friend
not being there on the last day to say goodbye

5.

entering the polished hall with all the new boys in a line by the stage
the smell of leather and new polish as you walk down the corridor
Miss Todd shouting for us to stay in line - new books and pencils
painting my first self portrait and Mr Heaton giving me encouragement
waiting at the corner door as we walk in one by one
in the garden by the warm greenhouse - the beetroots being cut and
put into newspaper
the rise of spring and discovering a linnet's nest in the hedgerow
counting the eggs each new day scared that a cat may steal them in the
night

6.

winning the cross country and going the extra mile to win the race
on the cricket field and wearing stickers with girls' names on them
keeping mine secret under my lapel
the long warm summer coming on slowly and seeing her under the lamp
in the late evening
waiting for her to appear in the morning - fresh faced wearing white lace
not wanting her to go out for the day with her mum and dad
seeing her at the ambulance station coming up the stairs
passing in the late evening and getting a cheeky smile - my heart beating
like a drum
saying goodnight to her in my night prayers sitting by the night window
wishing she was coming for tea but not asking my mother if she could
watching the summer ebb away as autumn came to take her

7.

making my bedroom lamp and varnishing the smooth planed wood
going home for my dinner and hearing Plastic Penny on the wireless
not seeing her for a week then seeing her three times in one day
on Christmas Eve watching from my bedroom window
my first love walking down the street but not calling out her
name
the Beatles on television at evening time and for once not being
infallible
the sound of the number one songs playing on the Top of the Pops TV
waking and missing my first love as the morning sun floods my
room


Jarvo 2021

For Adrian and Polly

The poem is in free verse and is deliberately not fully punctuated.
1954-1968 is the first part.
The idea came from the late Adrian Henri and his book Autobiography published in 1971.

Best wishes

J.