Pleasure Beyond Measure

Pleasure Beyond Measure

Children’s laughter in the driveway
Two faces peeping round the door,
Beth and Georgia shouting ‘Grandma’,
The little girls that I adore

Have come to spend some time with me
And brighten up my day;
‘Grandma, will you read a story?
Grandma, come outside and play.

Grandma, can we have an apple
And a strawberry milk shake please?,
Grandma, we’re not friends with Grandpa,
Tell him not to be a tease!

Grandma, shall we do some dancing?
Let me wear your golden shoes
And the sparkly beads and ear-rings;
Can I go upstairs to choose?

Grandma, I can do the splits now,
See if you can do them too;
Grandma, in the olden days
What kind of dances did you do?

Grandma, you be quiet and listen
While I sing a nursery rhyme;
No, no, don’t you join in with me,
You can sing another time.

Grandma, what’s on television?
Put it on so we can see,
Grandma, we are feeling hungry –
What can we have for our tea?

Ooh, Sausage, beans and chips, our favourite,
And some chocolate biscuits too!
You’re a really good cook, Grandma;
No wonder Grandpa married you.

Grandma, may we go back home now?
You can put our toys away,
And if you’re very very good,
We’ll visit you another day.

We hug, we kiss, I wave goodbye
To my two little treasures
Who, since they came into my life,
Have dwarfed all other pleasures.

Delia Bennett