Those who read my poems know
The place where I was forced to grow
Was by the docks, all grey and gritty
But what I longed for was the city,
London was the place to be
It had everything for me.
So how to get there? was the quest,
And the way that seemed the best
Was find a college that looked good
In a decent neighborhood.
Lack of money, that was sad
But socialism’s not all bad
Off I went, and all was free
A lovely room and lots for tea.
Courses good and some a bore
And I made good friends galore.
But best of all, the bathrooms gleaming
Loads of water hot and steaming.
This may not seem much to you
But when all you had was an outdoor loo
The only water one cold tap
In the kitchen, that was that.
Our bath was tin, hung on a nail
And came in Fridays without fail,
On the stove we boiled pots
You can imagine it took lots
To get water you could sit in
Then empty it, right in the kitchen.
In college to the bath I’d go
Fill to the brim, dip in a toe
Then submerge myself in bubbles
And best of all it took no trouble.
My friends would bang upon the door
Thinking I had drowned
But I would yell out “go away”
For I have Eden found.
So what I gained from college life
Was a love for running water.
And secondly a lovely man
Who took me to the altar.