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Poetry
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Snacks
By MikeMorris
21 July 2006

When I was a child
Television hadn’t invented snacks.
If I was hungry
My gran made me a jam butty

The bread knife had a blade like a saw
And blue  flaking paint on the handle
Gran always cut thick slices
Even, all the way round

She would brush the crumbs
Into her other hand and throw
Them into the back yard
“For the birds.” In Ardwick?

In those days damson jam
Had stones in it. Like damsons.
You could crack those stones
And eat the kernels. Like Christmas nuts.

The crusts made your hair
Curly. Hadn’t bald Mr. Dawson
Eaten his, when he had
The chance. And his teeth.

If I could eat one of those
Butties today and taste that taste
I’d really thank my gran.
Through my tears.


A

Reviews
From a bench on Ardwick Green.
Written by gerardconnolly (1186 comments posted) 21st July 2006
Evocative piece, Mike. I remember Ardwick Green. And all the birds that used to roost on top of St Gregory's School. 
 
Technical note. You should certainly get a prize for managing more then the statutory two/three stanzas currently de rigeur on the Poetry Forum. What is it with poets. Why does nobody write the 40 stanza ballads any more? Cooper Clarke made his name with The Ballad of Beesley Street. If he had called it Relections on My Navel and posted it here I doubt he would ever have become so rich and famous. 
 
Liked the last line in particular. 
 
Slan!
good un
Written by maipenrai (784 comments posted) 21st July 2006
Mike,took me back some years did this. 
 
you from ardwick Mike?? 
i was born in the moss,brought up in hulme,now living in stretford.
*applause*
Written by gutterkitty (362 comments posted) 21st July 2006
I love this. Crisp wording and vivid imagery, conveys a lot of meaning without being sentimental...Wonderful.
A la recherche de jam butty
Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3590 comments posted) 21st July 2006
Well Proust used a madeline to recapture lost memories and you use a jam butty and Ihave to say I preferred your jam butty. It's funny how the little things take you right back. A really vivie and evocative piece and so sharply writtein I'm sure everyone who reads it will find a memory of their own to cherish. That's the power of good writing 
cheers 
BBS

Written by MikeMorris (106 comments posted) 21st July 2006
As always, grateful thanks for your comments BBs,gutterkitty, maipenrai and Gerard. You don't think I've lowered the tone (Again) then?

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