REMEMBERING BIG BEN

At 6 o'clock please think of me

My mother used to say

It was in 1939 that I was sent away

To keep the children safe they said

We must have no delay

To Slough I went all on my own

To stay with some relations

But I was very lonely there

With me they had no patience

It came to Christmas day

And I was very happy to see

My Mum and Dad from London

To spend some time with me

But months passed by it seemed to be

Before they came once more

In spite of listening at 6 o'clock

And watching at the door

My brand new doll was smashed

And I was fed hard cheese

This was not the place for me

When all they did was tease

Called up for war work in a local factory

Mother was advised to check that I was satisfactory

At 6 o'clock she came down from a London under attack

Guessed I was not happy and planned to take me back

Home we went together and I can still recall

A green tea set, some biscuits, the thrill of it all

More than eighty years have passed but still I can remember

How happy was I to be at home where any bombs could fall

And once again together we could hear the news at 6

And Big Ben would let us know

That all had now been fixed

No more country life for me

Just a burning city

But home is where your heart is

When life is not so pretty

Ding Dong, Ding Dong, Big Ben chimed out to wild acclaim

At home with Mum ad Dad so happy once again

October 2021