The Caretaker


Lurked mainly
In his desk strewn basement
Shovelling furnace coke
We’d nick for a dare,
Each playtime watched us
Offering sweets
Nobody took:
And one night in the pub,
My decades older face
Still recognised,
Invites me back to his for a drink:
Over Polish vodka
Shows me his tattooed forearm
And speculates
A mother,
Father,
Sisters,
Aunts,
His wife and
A child
Just started at school
Then leaning forward
Confides a suitcase fully packed:
Passport, spare cash and some gold
That’s “…always good,
Can always be bartered for food.”

 

 

 

Kevin Patrick McCann
Illustration Nick Victor

From Still Pondering   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Still-Pondering-Kevin-Patrick-McCann/dp/1788768671/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Patrick+McCann+Still+Pondering&qid=1573366856&sr=8-1

 


This entry was posted on in homepage and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.