Earlies

cakebrick road in summer 1981, we shared a house and garden
at the height of all the bombing, on the run in busy, hazy london
through t-shirt breezes walking home from work
county kilburn sun
weekends we'd just wash away the dirt of busy, hazy london
the night grew cold, the thames is old

found that manners count for nothing and it took
a welshman in his forties
guinness elbows rest upon a tabletop
the two of us on earlies
three feet of snow fell on the walnut road
two feet trudged
round the corner came the sound of bad dreams
the flame is old. the thames is cold.

cakebrick road in summer 1981, we left a house and garden
on the corner boys, best of friends?
on the corner boys
both of us on earlies
two of us on earlies