Past Times 8

RITES OF PASSAGE
Each Christmas we all gathered there,
‘Aunt Clare, has more room ,after all’ with
her trestled tables and chair.
Grown-ups swigging their brown bottled ale,
young-uns, lemonade with paper straw,
VE style parties, once more.
Lunch over, the voice decibels rose,
raucus laughter oiled by the beer
brought forth more plates of festive cheer.
Cards slid noiselessly over the American
cloth, copper coins switching from pot to pot,
enthralled children watching on, ‘til
banished with a special treat, to the cold
stairs, or now bare front room, or to play
out in the deserted  twilight street.
Every year the ritual was much the same,
a  family ‘bring and share’ , long before
 such gatherings were given this name
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

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Gilmour Avatar
October 11, 2021 at 4:03 PM
Lovely memories Brian and sounding very much like our Christmases. We would have games and singalongs with the grownups eventually playing cards. The only time the TV went on was to hear her majesty's speech at 3.00...
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