大象传媒

Waiting for the war to end

Music drew me out of bed to creep across the landing,
crouching on the top stair listening - mother playing piano 鈥� father making sweet sounds on violin
People made their own entertainment 鈥� no television then 鈥� waiting for the war to end
I couldn鈥檛 believe that real live pictures would one day be seen
There from that polished wood box, with its tiny glass screen,
which on the sideboard stood blankly - waiting for the war to end

Father, on leave in his soldier uniform, took me to the seaside at Littlehampton
But oh for me such frustration! There stretched an expanse of beautiful hard sand,
I stamped my feet in a tantrum 鈥� I wanted to paddle 鈥� could not understand that danger was hidden 鈥� barbed wire stopped us walking down to that wonderful blue sea 鈥搘aiting for the war to end

Down our garden, hidden by brambles, was a stuffy damp air-raid shelter where grandparents, parents, baby and dog all slept under corrugated iron, in company with spiders and many crawly creatures
Condensation ran down the walls and dripped from the ceiling, radio our contact with the outside world
When the awful warning siren started to wail, any passing tradesmen or neighbours would join us
usually joking and laughing, many tales were exchanged, while waiting for the war to end

Grandpa stood watching bombs going over roof tops 鈥� we called them 鈥渄oodle bugs鈥�
When the noise stopped they dropped, a tremendous bang, the ground shook like an earthquake
Grandpa blown off his feet into the shelter onto his backside - then the long note of the 鈥渁ll clear鈥� siren meant we could tentatively climb out again

Our house was safe, but all windows were broken, how terrible for next door whose home was flattened 鈥� just a pile of rubble would stay there 鈥� until the war should end

No more to go fighting Father came home crippled, with arthritis and asthma to overcome
He patiently made models and many wooden toys waiting for the war to end

One day at school we were given sugared almonds, just a few each, wrapped in a twist of paper
For us such a treat, from our American friends while waiting for the war to end

Brenda Preston

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