A fantastic poem by Eileen, one of our contributors.
The Suit
Happy birthday she said as I ripped opened the bag…
My heart beating faster and faster as I’m peeling back the layers…
Ooh…I can see something…peeking out in the corner…
With one last pull the paper let’s go of its goodies…WOW…
I say as it lies before me…
What is it mum? I say…
Hold it up and you will see…
My hands touch the beige-coloured fabric…
Ooh… it’s so, so soft to the touch…
As I hold it up a piece falls down…
Mmm…. I say,
hold it up against you then…
Taking it out of my hands mum holds it up against my body…
Oh yes …looks lovely…
Now try the trousers on….
I put one leg in then the other and as my mum pulls me into them, I feel the soft silk lining touching my young skin…
It’s beautiful mum I shout…
Have a look then…have a look…
I head over the mirror with such anticipation for what I’m about to see…
I squeal…
There I stand in all my glory in my new beige camel coloured suit…
Soft to the touch and so, so elegant…
It’s the most loveliest thing I’ve ever seen…
Now look after it, she shouts…
Cost a lot of money…
OK mum, I reply still staring in the mirror…
Well…take it off now…
Go and hang it up, she says…
OK mum…
I slept well that night…
Happy I’d got a lovely suit for my party…
As the weekend comes…
I’m so looking forward to playing in the streets below…
I hear my mum call…
Eileen…
Take this to the pawn shop for me will ya…
All wrapped up in brown paper…
Mum…is this my suit …is it my suit…
Tears well up in my eyes as she nods her head …
Only this once …only this once…
promise…
the pain I felt on that long journey down to the pawn shop can never be explained…
tears running down my face as I hand it over to the man with the glasses on in exchange for the coins, he drops into my open hand…
It went on that journey often my suit…
And every-time the tears would flow…
Didn’t fit me when I finally got it back…
Ahh well, mum said …may as well take it back to the pawn man and get a bob or two ehh….
A tear drops onto my cheek…