Billy was grandads neighbour when they were kids
Billy would be late for school, meeting his friends
They would get fed up waiting, leaving him to catch up
His mum said it was because he was a little behind the other kids.
He didn’t walk until he was two and a half
Even then, he would rather crawl, or sit where they left him.
Things didn’t get better with age, and he’s on a warning from work.
Those that know him will tell you he would be late for his own funeral.
No point telling him to pull his socks up.
His boss had blown those words into the wind
Did he feel the smack as they returned?
William, as he liked to be called, now he was all grown,
took up running, hoping it would help his timekeeping
William loved his job at the kennels, as the animals never judged him
Looking at his watch, he knew he would never make it
As he started running, his feet came up from the ground,
running faster than the wind, with two minutes to spare, he made it.
From that day on, he arrived on time, helped by the wind at his back
That was how grandad told the story.
When I asked if anyone had seen him with his feet above the ground
I did, he said. And Johnny Faux, my best mate…
© Anita Dawes 2021
Leave a Reply