The silverfish were his first real memory
Everything else came later
Later
The birthday alone
Seventeen years toasted in water
The kiss in the woods
The brown leather coat
The frightened Italian
Holding the dead man's head
The musky smell of her soft dark skin
The crisp white sheets
The corners neat
The Christmas reprimand
For being caught
The dying bird held in his hands
The water fight
The wardrobe dark
The first taste of chicken from Wimbledon town
The hole in the wall
The careless kick
The flag you once wore
The words in the dusty kitchen
The black and white
The stares of strangers
The love
The hope
The joy
The pain
The silverfish were his first real memory
And forever will remain
Nineteen-seventy was the beginning
Everything else came later
