Granny
Grateful widow
Granddad
Misogynist with
Drink and fists
Uncle George
Uncle Ernie
Uncle Fred
Coldstream guardsmen
Aunty Frieda hard working mam
Aunty Jenny shop boss
My dad Dave
Uncle Tommy
In the shipyards
Mum a seamstress
Till I appeared
Ernie war hero
George boxing hero
Fred docking hero
Dad my hero
Granddad bare
knuckle antihero.
But we all
Learned from
Granddad
How to fight
George pro boxer
Three punches
Three men down
Dad rattled my teeth
Like his dad had his
Knocked out a few
Blokes who’d ask’d
For it
Me
Young
fishing
Argument
Take him behind
The funnel
And punch fuck
Out of him.
Then come back
And gut
How granddad
Settled things
How George
Settled things
How dad
Settled things
How I learnt
To settle things
I floated near
An abyss
Then things changed
Then I had
A son.
Then I realised the
Futility
Of shared
Stupidity
And my son
learnt love
And how
Not to fight
unless
Queensbury style
With honour and
Respect
And his stories
Broke the mould
No longer
Was the families
literal
Punchline
After every story
“…..So I hit Him”.
