Sunday 3 June 2018

Footprints




I had great h
 es of travel
When I bought that shopping trolley.
You know the type:
Tartan, two wheels,Vintage.

I might even reduce my Eco footprint
And improve local air quality.
My adult children said
I'd look like Mrs Doyle

And that I 'd have to say,
"Ah, Go on! Go on! Have another cup of tea, Father!"
I reminded them that I was Mrs Doyle.
And That shut them up.

There was a great array of shopping trolleys to choose from:
The Hoppa , a folding -four -wheeler on tubular -steel -wheels
And The Rolser Eco- Pep -Logic -Tour -Model, guaranteed
To lower my footprint and reduce noise pollution.

I opted for a two -wheeler from Argos: tartan; aka TWAT.
And, on its first outing, pulled rib muscles- MINE;
What with the month's supply of flour 
And sugar and dog food and cat litter….

TWAT is now relegated to the boiler room;
Storage-bin -receptacle of shopping bags, extension leads,
Gardening gloves, coat hangers and items sundry.
Wheels sadly obsolete.

But when I look at it, I follow in Mrs Quinn's footprints,
Circa 1960, on her weekly shop -up the Oaks,
Along Thomas Street, down Scotch Street, across Irish Street,
Ending up in the Square at McAleer's corner

Where the RUC Barracks cast a long shadow
And where higher up, and further back,
The burnt remains of O'Neill's Castle still smouldered
And were about to become ignited all over again.

Copyright with Cathy Leonard-Doyle 2018

1 comment:

  1. My mother is still refusing to get one of those!!

    ReplyDelete