Uncle Liam

When he was Uncle Liam;

When he took us to fairs

And gave us treats

And reached out with his left

Dabbing ice cream on our noses;

When he took us on trips;

Running like Impala

Across the sand

Rolling in surf

Soaking the punches of crashing tides;

When we rode cycles

Through country lanes

Trailing in his slipstream

Bagging the fruit

He let slip from bowing branches

Tucking into fresh jam

Spread on hot baked bread

He’d pull from his ovens;

When we fidgeted in cinemas;

And he was Superman

And soothed our fears

And saved our world

There was no-one quite like him,

Like Uncle Liam

I heard he died last night;

Ill for over 30 years, they tell me

He really was the greatest

Was Uncle Liam.

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