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Birthdays

When I was six

Everyone had birthday parties.

We always had Dead Lions,

Musical Bumps, Being Sick

And Pass the Parcel.

Between each wrapper

Round the swollen present

Lay tucked a toffee

Or a lollipop -

And everybody got a turn

At taking off a layer.

When I was nine, I learned

That the way the music stopped

Was not by chance:

My father's gaze took in

Each trembling lip, each face,

Each pair of hopeful eyes.

When I was twelve, I realised

With some surprise

That later on in life

There's no one there

To press the switch

And make sure

That everything is fair

And everybody

Gets their

Share.

By

Trevor Millum