The Playground
At Midsomer Norton County Primary
the milk bottles are warming in crates in the morning sun
sour by the sickly-tasting elevenses.
Standing in line for the portakabin canteen
waiting to force down cloying, homemade baked beans,
we clap handclap games endlessly
teach each other variants of intricate, infant poetry
in break-neck rhythm and rhyme:
“my mother said, I never should, play with the gypsies in the wood”
“my-name-is-oo-lye-oo-lye-shikka-lye-shikka-lye-roly-poly-blackberry-pie”
then marbles – little hands
coveting prized, glass baubles –
then the big skipping rope:
“who stole the cooker from the cookery shop?”
on and on to backbends down walls,
doing ‘the crab’ and handstands,
seeing if you could “break your leg” to get a plaster cast, like your little sister.
Mr Firkin wore three-piece suits and smoked fags
Mrs Pollock had long painted talons and looked like a witch
my teacher was Miss Hurst – a kind and gentle fairytale in green.
The Wombles came to Midsomer Norton in 1972 – the town was rammed.
I caught a Kingfisher on the riverbank one day after school ~
it did not resist as I cradled it in my hands, too sickly to escape.
I read Octagon Magic in the tiny library, aged six.
Dedicated to the memory of Alison Hillman, my friend at Midsomer Norton County Primary
Siobhan Cawson-Mooney is our current Poet-in-Residence. Every now and then we find a voice that sings to us. Those voices that show us something new - voices from out there that somehow resonate deeply. Voices we just 'get'. When that happens we graciously ask that they join us for a time. To live and dream along with us.
We're constantly on the look out for new artists, creatives and initiatives to feature in TheNeverZine - so if you are, or know someone who is going their own way and doing their own thing on their own terms and would be a good fit to feature please smash that button below and get in contact. By talking to each other, and sharing our journeys, ideas and insights on creativity, art, mental health and resilience we can all create, share and thrive together. Nice thought that.
PS - Don't forget to subscribe below for more content from TheNeverPress 👇