YOUR MOTHER AND YOU AND THE CHERRIES

A MAN AND HIS MOTHER IN HOSPITAL IN 1970

In the year the Who
and Jimi Hendrix
played
at the Isle of Wight

Rock Festival
your mother
was in Smallfields
hospital

having a kidney removed
and you sat with her
outside the ward
looking out

on woodland
and unkempt grassland
and you gave her cherries
in a brown paper bag

you had bought
she took the bag
and looked inside
I can’t eat those

at the moment
what with the kidney
being removed and such
oh sorry

you said
not to worry
you  eat them
she said

so you did
flicking the small stones
into the tall grass
your mother looked up

at the warm sun
and white clouds
shame you and Judith
didn’t get together

she said suddenly
as you had just spat
a stone nearby
I liked Judith

she was a down to earth
kind of girl
you looked at your mother
in her pink dressing gown

and slippered feet
she’d got engaged
to someone else
by the time

I got around asking her
you said
there may have been
prettier girls about

but she had
a heart of gold
and lovely eyes
and smile

your mother said
giving you one
of her studying looks
you tried to picture

Judith that Christmas
when she kissed you
for the first time
while carol singing

the moon bright
and stars out flashing
in the night sky
you spat out

another cherrystone
there’ll be an orchard
of cherry trees here
in years to come

your mother said
scanning the woodland
and tall grass
you’ll have to bring me back

and see
she added laughing
how do you feel?
you asked

a bit sore
but otherwise
all right
be glad to get home

but they want me
to go
to a convalescent home
run by nuns

for a few weeks
to recover
will you go?
you asked

they insist I go somewhere
so might as well
go to the nuns
she said

miss you at home
you said
the others will
miss you too

your mother
went silent
the lines on her forehead
screwed up

as she thought
and you remembered
Judith’s arms
around your waist

and the big hug
she gave you
as her lips
met yours

penny for them
your mother said
for what?
you said

your thoughts
she said
if I had a penny
for all my thoughts

you said
I’d be a rich man
Mother laughed
then said

think on Son
and as much as you can.