ODE TO A FAIRY

 

I ONCE KNEW A FAIRY – JENKINS WAS HER NAME

I WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL AND CARRIED LITTLE SHAME

SHE WAS MY FRIEND – MY VERY ONLY FRIEND

AND HIGH ON MY SHOULDER SHE WOULD ASCEND

HER WHISPERS I TOOK SERIOUSLY – HER NOTIONS WERE MY LAW

SHE WAS TREATED WITH DEVOTION – MY FRIEND I DID ADORE!

LIVING IN KASHMIRE IN 1954,

THERE WERE NO CHILDREN AT MY DOOR

‘PLEASE CAN HARRIET PLAY WITH ME

MUMMY SAYS SHE CAN STAY FOR TEA’

I NEVER HEARD THOSE WORDS YOU SEE

IT WAS JUST ME AND JENKINS - JENKINS AND ME

 

I DID HAVE A RAG DOLL, TARGI WAS HER NAME

SHE WAS A SORT OF FRIEND, BUT IT WASN’T QUITE THE SAME

JENKINS WALKED AND TALKED AND FLEW

– I COULD SEE HER – EVERYONE KNEW

SHE WAS MY MATE THROUGH THICK AND THIN

WITHOUT HER WHERE WOULD I HAVE BEEN?

MUMMY KNITTED TARGI, SHE KNITTED POODLE TOO

POODLE’S NAME WAS POODLE – AND TARGI’S HAIR WAS BLUE

HE HAD FLOPPY EARS AND WAS LONG AND GREY AND THIN

SHE HAD KNITTED EYE LASHES – AND BRIGHT PINK SKIN

POODLE WAS VERY LOYAL –HE TOO CAME EVERYWHERE

HE RUFFED IT WITH THE BEST OF US AND DIDN’T REALLY CARE

 

INDIAN TRADER PLAYED UNDER THE TREE

TAGI, POODLE, JENKINS AND ME

SINGING ‘OH MY DARLING CLEMENTINE’

WHILE AYA CURLED MY DULL HAIR FINE

WE SANG DAVEY CROCKET TOO, WHICH JENKINS KNEW BY HEART

WHEN I FORGOT THE WORDS – SHE’D GIVE ME A LITTLE START

TARGI AND POODLE KNEW IT TOO BUT THEY WERE DUMB CAN BE

IT WAS ONLY REALLY JENKINS THAT COULD ACTUALLY TALK YOU SEE

RUSS CONWAY ON THE RADIO SO QUICK AND BRIGHT AND FUN

BASHING ON THAT PIANO – WE’D DANCE ‘TILL HE WAS DONE

TOR ACHINI, TOR A CHA – QUEEN VICTORIA BOT ACHA

LA LA LA – LA LA  LA – LA LA LA LALALA

A LITTLE BIT OF MILK AND A LITTLE BIT OF TEA

QUEEN VICTORIA LIKES HER TEA – AYA HUMMED IT CONSTANTLY

 

I HAD AN OLDER SISTER AND MELITA WAS HER NAME

I STILL CALL HER LEETIE AND SHE LIKES IT JUST THE SAME

SHE USED TO TELL US STORIES AND TEACH US WRONG FROM RIGHT

OUR PLEASES AND OUR THANK YOU’S – JUST AS A MOTHER MIGHT

SHE USED TO PULL MY MILK TEETH OUT - UNDER THE PILLOW THEY WENT

IF I WAS VERY GOOD SHE SAID, AND ALL MY NAUGHTY DEEDS REPENT

A FAIRY MIGHT COME IN THE NIGHT TO MY BED

 

AND LAY A PENNY THERE INSTEAD!

SHE KNEW IT WOULD BE JENKINS – SHE JUST LOVED TEASING ME

AND I GREW RICH ON BABY TEETH – AND LEETIE HELD THE KEY 

I HAD TWO OTHER SIBLINGS BUT WE DIDN’T  SEE THEM MUCH

             THEY WERE BACK IN ENGLAND AND DIDN’T KEEP IN TOUCH

 

AND AT ABOUT SIX, JUST BEFORE BED

A KISS FROM MUMMY UPON MY HEAD

AND THEN DADDY WOULD BECKON US ON HIS KNEE

THIS WAS A WELL WORN TREAT YOU SEE

‘THIS IS THE WAY THE LADIES RIDE’

(VERY DEMURE – ‘MORE MORE WE CRIED’)

‘AND THIS IS THE WAY THE GENTLEMEN RIDE’

(MORE FORCEFUL NOW – THE KNEES ASTRIDE)

‘AND THIS IS THE WAY THE FARMERS RIDE’

(JUMPING ABOUT FROM SIDE TO SIDE)

AND DOWN IN THE DIP BETWEEN HIS KNEES

OUR BACKS ON THE FLOOR – OUR SHOUTS OF GLEE)

‘PLEASE DADDY PLEASE – JUST ONE MORE TIME’

BACK UP ON OUR PERCH – THE REPEAT SUBLIME!

AND HE ‘D BEGIN AGAIN THE EXACT SAME WAY

I CAN HEAR HIS VOICE TO THIS VERY DAY

THEN UP TO BED – THE LAST BIT WE’D LEAP

TO AVOID THE DRAGONS LURKING DEEP

UNDER THE BED – WHERE NO ONE LOOKED

IN CASE A HORRID MONSTER SPOOKED

MY BRIGHT ORANGE LIGHT DID SHINE AT NIGHT

MY FATHER SNORED AND GAVE US FRIGHT

 

 

GLASSY STARES OF STUFFED ANIMALS’ HEADS

CIRCLED ABOVE US ON THEIR PEGS.

THEIR ONLY CHANCE OF ANY FOLLY

WAS ONCE A YEAR WHEN THE CHRISTMAS HOLLY

WAS PERCHED BETWEEN THEIR MOTH EATEN EARS

WITH BAUBLES DANGLING DOWN IN PAIRS

AND TWINKLING STARS HUNG FROM THE CEILING

GIVING THE ROOMS A FESTIVE FEELING.

THE STOCKING HUNG ON THE END OF THE BED

FATHER CHRISTMAS LONG SINCE FLED

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN PRESENTS

BUT I CANT THINK OF ONE

MY SISTER HAD A KITE –  IT WAS RUBY RED

MY BROHER A GUN WITH A CORK INSTEAD

OH YES! I DO RECALL – A PLASTIC DOLL – I CALLED HER BEA

NAMED AFTER THE AUNTY WHO SENT HER TO ME

LIFTED UP - HER LIDS WOULD RISE

LAID RIGHT DOWN - SHE’D CLOSE HER EYES

AND IF YOU GAVE HER A DRINK SHE’D PEE

I REMEMBER THE DELIGHT OF HER WET NAPPY

 

 

THE HEART SHAPED PADDLE OF THE BOAT

SKIMMING EASY – WE ALL AFLOAT

ON LAKES THAT GLISTENED IN THE SUN

JUMPING, SWIMMING ‘TILL DAY WAS DONE

WATER LILLIES, FROGS AND A TRILLION FISH

ALL THE INGREDIENTS A CHILD COULD WISH

MELONS PILED UP HIGH BESIDE THE ROAD

WHOEVER CARRIED THAT IRKSOME LOAD?

 

THE WALKS IN THE MOUNTAINS, THE FORESTS OF PINE

AND SQUASHED UNDERFOOT THE SWEET SMELL OF THYME

MYSTERIOUS MEN WHO COULD MAGIC A CHICK

FROM BEHIND YOUR EARS HE COULD EASILY PICK

JENKINS LOVED THIS PART THE BEST

SHE NEVER TIRED OR NEEDED REST

EACH DAY I WAS PUT TO BED AT THREE

SHE DIDN’T SLEEP – JUST STAYED WITH ME

 

THE GULLIES THE GARDENERS USED TO MAKE

TO WATER THE CROPS – IT’S THAT WALK WE’D TAKE

AND WHEN THE MINI DAMS DID FLUSH

OUR NEWSPAPER BOATS, WE’D RACE AND RUSH

DOWN MUDDY BANKS AND STREAMS

THIS IS THE STUFF OF CHILDHOOD DREAMS

 

AND EVERY WINTER THE SNOW WOULD COME

AND THE TWO OF US WE HAD SUCH FUN

SNOWMEN CAME IN THRICE THE SIZE

WITH SNOW THIGH DEEP – WHAT A PRIZE

COAL FOR EYES AND A CARROT NOSE

I STILL HAVE A PHOTO OF THAT POSE

BUT SNOW IS NOT FOR A DOLL OR DOG

THEIR WOOLEN BODIES THE ICE WOULD CLOG

CHILLY DAYS AND NIGHTMARE NIGHTS

SHE WOULD PROTECT ME FROM MY PLIGHTS

MEMORIES, MEMORIES – SOME HAUNT ME STILL

OF WHOOPING COUGH AND BEING SO ILL

OF BRIGHT COLOURED TRAINS WITH EYES SO STARK

AND WRIGGLING SNAKES WRAPPED ROUND IN THE DARK

AND A SKELETON WHO STOOD AT THE END OF THE LANE

WHO GRABBED AT CHILDREN HE TRIED TO RETRAIN

TARGI AND POODLE BESIDE ME ASLEEP

JENKINS WOULD ALWAYS HER VIGIL KEEP

 

THE OTHER WAY THAT SHE WAS GOOD

AND NEVER TEASED, BUT UNDERSTOOD

WAS MY RIGHT EYE DID INWARDS LOOK

BUT NOT ONCE A SIDE WITH TARGI TOOK

OR POODLE EITHER FOR THAT MATTER

SHE DIDN’T CARE – THE TAUNTS CAME LATER

A A MILNE WAS OUR BEDTIME BOOK

AND OVER MY SHOULDER JENKINS WOULD LOOK

WE’D READ THE VERSES BOTH TOGETHER

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN – IT WAS ALL SO CLEVER

POOH AND PIGLET, EEYORE AND JAMES

I CANT REMEMBER ALL THE NAMES

JUST ALL THOSE NAUGHTY BEARS AND SQUARES

AND POO STICK RACES AND DEVILISH DARES

 

AND TALES ABOUT WOOLWORTHS, ONE PENNY A GO

A PROMISE IS A PROMISE – ONE DAY WE’D GO

WE MOVED TO ENGLAND – I WAS FIVE AND A HALF

JENKINS THERETOO DOWN THE TRICKY PATH

I WENT TO SCHOOL AND THEY MADE ME CRY

JUST FIVE AND A HALF WITH A WONKY EYE

WITH PINK ROUND GLASSES AND ONE EYE PATCH

HOW CRUEL CAME THE WORDS - I WAS NO MATCH

BUT EVEN SO THE TIME FELT RIGHT

TO SAY GOODBYE AND FACE THE FIGHT

SO JUST LIKE CHRISTOPHER, I SAT JUST SO

NOT TOO HIGH AND NOT TOO LOW

ON THE STAIRCASE IN MY HOME

JUST JENKINS AND ME – ALL ALONE

I TOLD HER SHE COULD ‘HELP SOMEONE NEW’

AND WITH ONE LAST KISS  - THEN OFF SHE FLEW

 

MY MOTHER STRIPPED POOR TARGI’S HAIR

AND BOUGHT HER A WIG – I DID DESPAIR

I LOVED HER WITH HER CURLS OF BLUE

SHE WAS NOT THE TARGI THAT I KNEW

I LOOKED AT HER AND SHE LOOKED AT ME

I SOLD HER AT SCHOOL FOR JUST ONE PENNY

SOMEHOW SHE WAS NEVER QUITE THE SAME

NAVY WOOLEN EYES WITH A BROWN NYLON MANE

I WANT TO REMEMBER HER WHEN SHE WAS MINE

WITH JENKINS AND POODLE – THOSE FRIENDS SO FINE

 

BUT DO YOU KNOW – ON THIS GREAT SEA

WHEN I’M ALL ALONE – WHEN IT’S ONLY ME

AND THE SOFT WIND BLOWS – AND I’M ON THE WHEEL

THERE’S SOMEONE THERE - AND I OFTEN FEEL

WHEN THE NIGHT IS DARK -  AND THE MOON SO BRIGHT

WHEN THE STARS BEHIND THE CLOUDS TAKE FRIGHT

THAT SHE COMES BACK TO SAY HELLO

PLEASE STAY AWHILE – PLEASE DON’T GO