The Birmingham Poem number 1

To all you Brummies out there

In Grange road they lived, in a house classed as large
4 bedrooms they had, but without the garage

An outside toilet, with its walls painted white.
was covered in spiders, such a tingling sight.

Six boys and three girls did the siblings make
Not a bun in the oven, but the whole damn cake

The ages were varied being spread over 9
The names they’d remember if given the time.

First Jenny then Sydney now they were the eldest.
Then Robert and Richard they could not dispel this

Then there came Tommy and Peter you know.
Their clothes never fit, who knew they would grow?

Then Linda and Andrew, which made quite a brood,
Was there never a time when they weren’t in the mood?

And last but not least there was Angie to come
Hand me downs aplenty, but food only some.

The house all a shamble as you’d  imagine it being.
Rumours aplenty; but seeing is believing.

No coal in the coal shed but snow on the ground
The junk from the house piled up in a mound.

“Bonfire nights coming” their mom had said
“But don’t make a sound as your dad is in bed”

With the fire all ablaze they threw taters to bake.
With sticks in their hands for the cooked morsels to rake.

The crack of the fire so warm and so bright
The glow from the embers a welcoming sight.

Now the taters all baked and ready to eat.
But just trying to get one was no mean feat.

The sticks were aplenty; you had to have nerve
The motto of this family was, first in first serve.

Not a chance did I have, with the fire being hot.

Would my little stick reach,  well maybe not?

Just  wait a while as big brother takes hold.

He burmed his hand that day, or so I am told.

A mother watched as her kids faces did glow

Pain was her friend that night, but in time it would go

That night was so special, though they would not reason why,

Soon there mom would be gone, all to soon she would die. 

by Angie_emau