The Things You Used To Say

Amanda Steel

The things you used to say
Other people wouldn´t understand
Like when I asked how long until tea
You asked, how long is a piece of string?
I´d ask, what´s for tea tonight?
A kick and a run round the table
Or pig´s arse and flannel, whatever that is
Responding to greetings of good morning
By saying good afternoon instead
Because apparently, 8am is closer to afternoon
Claiming you couldn´t remember something
Because you had slept since then
As though memories ooze out during sleep
If they did I would never sleep
For fear of forgetting you
I still recall days out
You liked to walk fast
While Mum trailed behind
And every so often, you´d ask
Where´s your bloody mother lass?
You liked to put lass at the end of each sentence
To emphasise anger or just impatience
But it became a running joke
And still makes me smile
Whenever I recall the things you used to say