When Bruce Willis had hair
I rode a chopper into the moon
and thought I was Elliott from E.T
saving aliens with brown skin
who let me hang out with them
slurping Heinz mulligatawny
coz sometimes even Sikhs couldn’t be arsed.
When my Mum was frightening
my old man winked me out of the house
and thought he was Bobby fuckin Ewing
all white teeth and welly-market denim
trying to charm to her to an early night
coz most times even parents don’t feel arsed.
When Terry Wogan was sexy for grandmothers
my Nan’s smile magnified in water and
she’d mention how handsome my Dad was
cleaning her glasses as she said so twice;
I remember her death when I sat on ghost chairs
covered in the frowned white sheet once slept in
coz even grandmothers were beautiful once.
When Bruce Willis became bald
my dad walked into the bathroom grey,
came out shiny black just once
so he could relive that bruising waltz.
This is how ordinary people in love
Walk all over each other.
Antony Owen