A Kind of Loving

sunday best still hanging there no one left to hand them down to pretending i'm blind following your steps down to the church smile and shake the young priest's hand sit and kneel, times twenty-three i could have sworn she aimed that smile at me walking home with richard and mum company, the youngest son come round later for bagels and tea phil scores a goal, but he's grazed his knee laura phones, inviting me round with just a snooker cue phil brings a fly to the ground dad slumps at the dinner table beery smile, slips a piece of meat between his lips and falls asleep i oil the hub and tighten the brakes waiting for cousin phil to call i oil the brakes and tighten the hub waiting for cousin phil to call coming up for time to get ready laura phones and says 'i can't tonight' i sit and feel embarrassed at the jokes i know i shouldn't get in 'a kind of loving' a kind of loving helen and julie fill the lounge with laughing the stranglers playing loud again pearce fights the dog in a parka in the t.v. room and john is somewhere, perhaps he'll phone dad's popped out for a pint or maybe three mum walks into the back yard with a smile and a cup of tea just for me