15th October 2025

 

morning song

as I descend the stairs

dog barking

© Rachel Green October 2025

Beach Days

Days at the beach? A rare occurrence when

I was a child, but once upon a time

we would get the train from Newcastle, then

get off at Whitley Bay or Mouth of Tyne.

Nana would make sandwiches: eggs and cheese

and sausage rolls and fizzy Tizer drinks

while Mum would do her very best to please

with bucket, spade and shells in whites and pinks.

While Da would spend a shilling for some chairs

and sit with knotted hankie on his head.

While drinking Tetley's from a flask of theirs

with trousers rolled up "for the sand" he said.

 Once, we went to Weston Super Mare

 we sank into the mud and ne'er again went there.

© Rachel Green October 2025