The red banner ...

I followed my heart -

I followed the red banner -

I remembered my grandparents -

My dad's dad, working in the dockyard -

Shaping the iron and steel -

The grey ships swallowing men's strength -

My mum's dad -

Haunted by the terrifying years -

Cycling the cold miles, looking for work -

Then I remembered my mum, called by her surname -

Harding, you clean the silver now -

There could be no other banner -


November 2019

Swanage
Dorset