Running Down the Past
(To Granny)
Aa run down Hope Street,
Salem Street an’
Saint Paul’s Road aa thought was dead posh,
ti’ th’ Salt Grass,
where we’d bool waa paste eggs
doon th’ humptybacked hill.
Aa run down th’ Church Bank an’
Sandy’s Hole,
th’ winding path
ti th’ Mercantile wi boats’ bloated
in tha’ docks.
Through th’ Pedestrian tunnel an
Howdon , thinking we wor in another country.
Run up Ellison Street ti’ th’ Mechanics Hall,
where mam an’ dad danced th’ night away til ten.
Aa run up th’ cemetery bank,
stop at ya unmarked grave
an ye tell me th’ years have flown.
Tom Kelly is a poet, playwright and short story writer. His stories have appeared on Radio Four and in UK magazines. He has had eight poetry collections, and Behind the Wall, his first full-length short story collection was launched in April 2018.
atriumpoetry.com 
I love this, not least because Tyneside is where I was born. That said this is not just nostalgia but a real heartfelt poem with a message. We all had grans or nanas like this.
LikeLike