Born nineteen forty-eight, baby boomer me
Petts Wood, north of Orpington, Kentish boy me
Mum, Leitrim to London, to nurse, 23
Dad Dulwich, Royal Air Force in the war he

Lifted off scales, my first memory
One of five boys (no girls we)
Next to last in class, Shortlands House, not too bright me
Failed the 11-plus, secondary mod me

Played lots of footie, right-footed me
Supporter of Sunderland, liked red white and black me
Turned into quite a swot, I surprised me
Went to seminary in Wonersh, proved unpriestly

Married a lovely lass, Czechoslovakian she
Moved to a rented flat, Ash Grove, Anerley
Then Ridley Road, Rochester, near River Medway
While working as a postman London SW1 me

Seven-week postal strike, but the bosses beat we
Then post office counter staff off Victoria Street me
Then deputy registrar in Gravesend, BM&D
Followed by Coventry, pukka registrar me

Douglas House flat, Hillfields, 1973
Then semi near the Charterhouse and the old cemetery
Three lovely lads (no girls), mum and dad we
Coventry Poly, administrator me

Helen joined St John Ambulance, helped out at the footie
Then worked at Walsgrave, theatre nurse she
Followed by freelance, aromatherapy
And teaching at college, anatomy

Faculty of art registrar in Birmingham me
Friends in Brazil, Belo Horizonte
Amateur artist, would-be new LS Lowry me
Interpreters translators Czech Portuguese we

Four grandchildren (one girl!), grandparents we
Helen’s got three allotment plots, fruit and veg she
Sent off several poems, serial rejectee me
Irregular heartbeat, boom boom diddle di

Indian summer, retirees we
Me learning Irish, Tóg go bog é
Helen’s learning Italian, Arrivederci
Herewith the end of my me-we CV