Apple Blossom – Sherwood
Paper Cities
My wife’s mother watched American bombers glistening in the sky, saw the bombs fall and, later helped clear the debris from the dropping of an atom bomb. She told me stories of what happens when you drop incendiaries on a city of paper houses and taught me how to fold a paper crane.
On the other side of the world my mother tried her gas mask on and practised hiding under her school desk. In October 1940 a German bomber flew low across the school and dropped two bombs. She picked up a piece of bomb casing in the school yard while it was still warm.
We discuss this with the kids as we fold paper cranes for a school project. It means more to them, when told in terms of grandmothers, than all the pictures on TV.
familiar folds
I have not made
the thousand yet . . .
one of the children asks
for blue and yellow paper
First published in Cattatils – August 2023
Some blossom is showing
So beautiful. Thank you, Simon.
🙂 Thank you too. How are things going?
Apart from having 25 boxes of Mum’s books in our garage things are not too bad now. We are still waiting for probate but once that has been granted everything should sort itself out very quickly as I have done all the rest of the paperwork. Mum’s house has a buyer and they are happy to wait for the probate grant too as they have already sold their house. My elder daughter has just bought her first house and moves in next month. Apparently she has no need of my help which is really good! My younger daughter has a good therapist and is progressing nicely and my husband’s health is improving as well. At last, I am sleeping a little better which makes such a difference to my energy levels. So; much better news. I hope you and your family are coping okay. Keep going with your poetry – it’s really lovely.
Good to hear things are under control. I was talking to someone yesterday who told me that they had argued with their husband last time the moved as she instead on keeping 100 books. I dread to think how many there are in 25 boxes. Julia and my sister went to see Number One son in Norwich last week. They took ten books on plants, garden design and DIY. It was a wrench, and I can’t see that anything has gone. 🙂
That is a beautiful, moving poem and prose, Simon. And I agree, not a comfortable read with the world being what it is today.
🙂 Thank you.
Not a comfortable read as the world is today.
Particularly timely today, as we have news of strikes on Ukraine and Gaza.
This moved me to tears, both the prose and poetry.
Yes, several editors have said I brought tears to their eyes 🙂 In your case I will take it as a compliment. Thank you.
Yes, a compliment! So moving.
🙂
💕
Such meaningful work
Thank you Derrick. 🙂