Jim

Nine years old, and it's raining on my holiday.
You sit down opposite and set up the chess board.
"I'll teach you to play", you say.
I didn't know then, though I do now,
Why you tried so hard to make it up to me.
Not the holiday,
Life.

You did your best to fill the gaps.
A box brownie camera for snaps.
A game of chess to pass the time.
When the rain let up,
Or sometimes when it didn't,
We'd wander round the ancient stones
Of Long Meg and Castlerigg.

When the light faded, we'd share the Goons,
Or listen to some quiz show on the radio.
I wish I'd known then the reason why.
I only knew you were my favourite uncle.

That was years ago,
And it still brings a smile
Each time I play a game of chess,
Or hear some fragment from an early radio show.