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When I was six
Everyone had birthday parties.
We always had Dead Lions,
Musical Bumps, Being Sick
And Pass the Parcel.
Between each wrapper
Round the swollen present
Lay tucked a toffee
Or a lollipop -
And everybody got a turn
At taking off a layer.
When I was nine, I learned
That the way the music stopped
Was not by chance:
My father's gaze took in
Each trembling lip, each face,
Each pair of hopeful eyes.
When I was twelve, I realised
With some surprise
That later on in life
There's no one there
To press the switch
And make sure
That everything is fair
And everybody
Gets their
Share.
By
Trevor Millum
