For my loved and much-missed dad on Father’s Day.

Dad always did like Pam Ayres

A shadow of his former self,
my dad, in a hospital bed,
he’d broken his hip and a bit of his mind,
I’ll tell you what he said.

His close-mouthed lips formed these words:
‘Me teeth, me ruddy teeth!’
     ‘What about them Dad?’ I sighed,
‘Me teeth, me ruddy teeth.’

His face looked loppy-sided,
he didn’t try to grin,
I peered, to find the problem,
for sure, his teeth were in.

‘They’ve give me someone else’s,’
he lisped, with an air of dismissal,
     ‘Let me see,’ it made me smile
that when he spoke, he whistled.

His teeth were in, but upside-down,
he’d played these games before,
I liked this one a lot better
than searching for teeth on the floor!

Polly Stretton © 2018