games

At Christmas

Christmas is my time of year
I can get drunk on the scents of clementine and clove
I like to sing along with Bing & Bowie, Wizzard & Wham
dance around the tree tryIng not to trip
over well-wrapped gifts and tins of roses
I get hypnotised by the shimmering of baubles
against twinkling lights and tinsel
every year I sit and lose myself in the magic of the snowman
like it’s my first time seeing it.

Get me round the table on Christmas day
pulling crackers with prizes I never win
a toast and then a race for the pigs in blankets
and last roast potato
smiles of happiness, wine and champagne
from all the faces,
leaves the best taste.

Does it really matter to you,
if the odd day, my breakfast is Bucks Fizz, coco pops and orange matchmakers
and afternoon hot chocolates
sometimes have Bailey’s in, sometimes not?
We celebrate in our own ways.

I’ve always enjoyed Christmas
ever since I watched letters with burnt edges
float up the chimney as a child
when Dudley Moore was a runaway elf
and presents spilled from tree to settee
and the whole family was happy and together.

Christmas is my time of year
let’s celebrate together
all in our own ways.

————

Thanks for taking the time to read my poem.

Take It Easy

Paul

The Shows

We called the travelling funfair
“The Shows”
the same way our parents did
when they arrived in The Wick
late summer excitement
that smelled of hot sugared doughnuts, flowing diesel and damp trampled grass
the air was always a kaleidoscope
of flickering lightbulbs and brightly painted plywood
shrill screams of exhiliration could be heard over a mile away
layered over a techno soundtrack
thumping with the pulses of waltzer-spun teens
and kids riding the ghost train anticipating the supersoaker squirt on exit
sometimes I liked to play the bandits
tuppence to ten-pence a go
so nothing to lose really
the games were good to –
one night I hooked six banana-yellow ducks
and walked home with six goldfish
struggling to hold the punch balloon and pink-pillow candy floss in my other hand
it was a great time to be alive
amongst crowded smiles and double denim
spending my paper round and pocket money like fun was going out of fashion
and just the other day
I saw an internet flyer
“The Shows” are back this year
travelling up and down the coast
and although I’ll not see them
I can taste the air –

the flavour of excitement.

Thanks for taking the time to read my poem and feel free to check out some of my other writing.

Take It Easy,

Paul