Grace Note (in memoriam Keith Hammond)
I speak
For the generations of lucky children
Who found you at the front of their class
And learned the joy of words
For tightly-wrapped winter walks
And softly-wrapped nights of summer
For the breeze on Spanish beaches
For the bubbling home-brew under the stairs
For the leather sofas at The Chandos
Or the spangled mirrors at The Park Tavern
For the concrete seats at The Oval,
The freezing stands at Twickenham
For the music at St Martin in the Fields
I speak
For the newsagent who handed you your daily Times
For the Full English at Café Dee
And the Turkish barber with the cut-throat razor
For the Big Issue seller at Charing Cross
And the Conversation with Oscar Wilde
For your autumn footfall in Eltham Park
For melody and harmony
For The Beatles, Joni, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens
For Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye. For Soul.
For the movies that delighted, inspired, appalled
For le Carré, MacNeice, Tremain, Shakespeare
For the missing number on our Speed Dials
I speak
For all the time; the space time gave us
And all the steps we trod and yards we ran
For the words we read and spoke and yelled
For the songs we treasure that measure our lives
For all the tunes we ever sang or lofted
Into the night for the stars to catch
For the husband, father, teacher and friend
For Sue and Rebecca and Matthew
This is your grace note