Birthday Boyo
No sunshine, but plenty of coal
to cosy up our terrace.
Gran smothers extra toast
with raspberry jam, and I’m drawing
Caerphilly castle. I climbed
that spiral stair today
to the office. I was grassed up.
Dapper Jones made me
empty my pockets and found
the bazooka gum and a box
of England’s Glory. His yellow
fingers tapping his desk
like my heartbeat. He asked
‘your birthday is it Williams?’
and unlocked a drawer
labelled lost and found.
He took Gran’s matches,
so it goes. No probs.
He gave up some confiscated —
steelies, stonies, swirls
and marididdles! Tidy.
I didn’t tell the other lads.
Phil Wood was born in Wales He has worked in statistics, education, shipping, and a biscuit factory. His writing can be found in: The Wild Word, Abergavenny Small Press,and a collaboration with John Winder at Fevers of the Mind.