The Best Days of Our Lives

The Best Days of Our Lives

It was February fifth nineteen fifty three
I jumped out of bed with a feeling of glee,
Pulled up my short trousers over slightly scarred knees
slipped my Winter shirt on pulled up braces with ease.

The old socks on the floor would do for today
had no time to look for clean ones anyway,
I recalled yesterday’s news, my heart skipped a beat
today would be brilliant – a wonderful treat!

I ran down the kitchen where lovely old Mum
sat me down at the table with an ultimatum,
‘Eat every little bit or you’re going nowhere-
did you wash behind your ears, have you combed your hair?

My sister in her highchair was having a spree
flicking food everywhere, and sharing it with me,
As it slid down my face I Just wiped it away
I swear there was nothing could upset me today.

I gave her a smile as porridge set in the bowl
why was every breakfast such a rigmarole,
The weather outside was looking so bleak
as Mum spit on her pinnie rubbed dirt from my cheek.

‘Go on then young Jimmy’ she said with a smile
‘Get out, enjoy it, it’s been a long while’.
I ran through the rubble still there from the blitz
held tight in my hand my two threepenny bits.

Billy stood waiting at the end of our street
his family were poor so I promised him this treat,
I gave him his thruppence we headed off to the shop
but our dreams were shattered as we reached the Co-op.

The queue was so long it reached around the back
of Charlie’s coal yard filled with nothing but slack,
It wasn’t just kids, lots of adults were in the queue
men in bowler hats – fur coated women too!

With sadness in our hearts we joined the long line
I assured young Billy that all would be fine,
The queue started moving and in an hour or more
our spirits were lifted, as we could see the front door.

Billy said it was great and well worth the pain
then the sun disappeared and it poured down with rain!
At last we were stood in the old Co-op shop
on the ends of our noses a glistening dew-drop.

As we both looked around, we felt so bereft
the glass jars were empty, one toffee apple left,
So I quickly snapped it up to share with my friend
on the day sweet rationing came to an end.