When I was 7

When I was 7

I used coloured rods for maths at school,

Loved the pink ones- think they were worth 2 or was it 5 ?

Mrs Larkins screamed all day,

Was a huge well- fed dragon,

Mouth red from blowing fire at us all day-

Often wondered if she had taken a student back to her cave to eat,

There always seemed to be someone missing.

Played cubbies in the cypress pines-

Drank warm milk delivered to school.

Our brown Austin Tasman always broke down on the way to school,

Often late toclass.

Played “lost in space” in the school yard.

I was regretfully always Penny but wanted to be Judy.

When I was 7 it was 1975-

We had terry towelling car seat covers, shorts and chenille bed spreads.

We never wore seat bealts-

Played at Kelly and Kirk’s after school-

They had a modern 70s house overlooking the river.

Kelly was killed in a car accident at 21- her and five friends killed instantly-

She was a backseat passenger.

Kelly’s smile was the sun.

Kirk’s death notice was Billy Joel’s “Only the good die young”

Kirk was killed in a superbike accident at 35-

He was a famous rider.

Kelly and Kirk’s parents lost their smiles forever.

In 1975- Kirk loved Evel Knivel.

When I was 7 my brother David and I would walk to the milk bar for mixed lollies,

50 lollies for 20cents,

We played up at Shaw’s dairy farm in amongst the boxthorns

We never got home till sunset

When I was 7.

What was your life like at 7 ????

Robbie