Attic

 Attic

 

Up there? A black square,

well, more a rectangle

for the pedants amongst you –

more than a few,

I dare say. Dare.

 

Which brings me to the crux, the thrust

if you will.

The room watches, holds its breath,

and the air’s still.

 

I mean -

there’s enough room for passage,

but you need to limber up, disco down,

no matter how much you scowl,

there comes a point

when your ailing joints,

and your physique isn’t up to snuff

so all that stuff,

clutter and shmutter

you desperately need to shove up there,

remains stubborn on the ground.

 

You were found of chin ups

before age and decay,

the will’s there

but ancient muscle wasted away -

you sorely need Bounder of Adventure,

or those missing portable steps,

that you always kept

for a contingency such as this.

 

Still, here’s hope.

Comes in the shape of my blonde hero,

tousle haired, dishevelled and 13

and you know we’re quite a team,

me and him,

but he’s shaking his head with a grin.

 

So, I’m urging:

telling him to jump up there

shove aside the snug fitting, painted board,

I’ll pass my hoard

of treasures brent new frae Doha,

which I’ve racked up from those far

desert lands –

all it takes is a bit of grit,

some bottle and we’ll get through it.

 

And yet,

the room watches, holds its breath,

and the air’s still -

as he reaches upwards with clenched fists.

 

But here comes our first obstacle,

a tumbling spider, lost it’s thread,

he panics,

I clap my hands, - dead -

but they say it’s bad luck,

like the mirror crack’d,

although he’s pushed the board aside by now,

he’s looking back.

 

That black square

less inviting than ever it was, if ever it was,

I’m too patient to get cross –

I love him, you know,

can’t blame him if he won’t dare to go

where Angels fear to tread,

all the light has fled,

and I can hear that same dread,

can touch it, hold it in my hand,

now it’s time for little boy to be a man –

and in all these sorry years I’ve lived,

I never did forgive.

 

Never found it in my heart

until this one was gifted to me,

I’ll help him down, ruffle hair and say

let’s leave it for another day.