Paul Willason Poet Free verse

The Photograph

How old was I then - maybe 
seven or eight in grainy black
and white. I can remember 
I was standing outside 
my grandfathers two story 
terrace house in Sydney.
Must have been around
nineteen fifty three, 
school holidays.
I didn't like the smell of his place
with its old, moss coated brick walls, 
the claustrophobic backyard 
and the lack of sunlight. 
Everything seemed dark 
and damp.

I can picture my grandfather
sitting at the kitchen table
with his stooped shoulders, 
wheezing away, rolling his daily quota 
of cigarettes, glasses set low 
on his nose, sunken eyes 
peering at me below 
an unkempt hedge of eyebrows. 
I slept on a rickety camp stretcher
in his bedroom beneath
musty sheets and would wake
during the night whenever 
he got up to pee in his pot.
It was always good to get home
to a big backyard, a wide open sky,
trees to climb and nights 
undisturbed by the sound 
of my dear grandfather peeing 
into a pot.

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Deb M November 16, 2024 at 3:03 PM Paul l love this poem….l was transported again. l could smell the damp from the moss and lack of sunlight, see your grandad rolling his stogies ( not sure if thats spelt right) peering over his specs with those thick bushy old man brows Ha! Saw a little boy in the old rickety camp bed. Your grandad peeing into the pee pot…..that made me smile! I saw ,felt and smelt it all….Im not sure that sounds quite right haha!! It made me think about never having grandparents in my life. Debx Soupmail!!

Lin Lane November 16, 2024 at 2:10 AM Childhood memories that affected us the most are indelible. For me it was a night at my grandmother's. She was the sweetest grandmother ever. I asked to spend the night when I was 6 and slept in her bed with quilts up to my neck. I asked if she had a nightlight, and she didn't but put a lamp on her mantle. I woke sometime later, and the lamp was on the floor. She woke when I stirred, and I asked if she'd moved it. She whispered, 'No.' Then held me in her arms. I later learned why she'd never asked any of us to sleep there.