For Denis Law please see the brilliant poem below and the note at the bottom of the page

 

Three brilliant poems by Gareth Owen 

 

Please scroll down for Time Child

 

Denis Law 

 

I live at 14 Stanhope Street,

  Me mum, me dad and me,

And three of us have made a gang,

  John Stokes and Trev and me.

 

Our favourite day is Saturday;

  We go Old Trafford way

And wear red colours in our coats

  To watch United play.

 

We always stand behind the goal

  In the middle of the roar.

The others come to see the game -

  I come for Denis Law.

 

His red sleeves flap around his wrists,

  He’s built all thin and raw,

But the toughest backs don’t stand a chance

  When the ball’s near Denis Law.

 

He’s a whiplash when he’s in control,

  He can swivel like an eel,

And twist and sprint in such a way

  It makes defences reel. 

 

And when he’s hurtling for the goal

  I know he’s got to score.

Defences may stop normal men -

  They can’t stop Denis Law.

 

We all race home when full time blows

  To kick a tennis ball,

And Trafford Park is our back-yard,

  And the stand is next door’s wall.

 

Old Stokesey shouts, “I’m Jimmy Greaves,”

  And scores against the door,

And Trev shouts: “I’ll be Charlton,” -

  But I am Denis Law.

 

                                                            Gareth Owen

 

 

The Cat

When the moon is leering yellow

And the trees are witches’ claws

That scratch upon the window panes

And scrape upon the doors,

I crouch before the fireplace

And smirk into the heat

And think of wild adventures

That are waiting up the street –

But I’m tooooo tiiiiired.

 

I could slink along the alleyway

That’s sentinelled with bins

And nose inside old papers

And lick the empty tins.

I could sniff out mice in the Railway Yard

Or watch the Midnight Mail

Thunder through the station

Rattling his angry tail –

But I’m tooooo laaaaazy.

 

I could tease the dogs in the school-yard

Pretending they’re not there

And swagger in front of their noses

With my head up in the air

And when they start to chase me

And howl and tumble and call

I’d nimbly leap from their snapping jaws

And smile at them from the wall –

But I’m tooooo sleeeeepy.

 

I could go and meet the tabby

Who only comes out at night

And the rather belligerent ginger

Who lost his ear in a fight.

I’ll howl, I’ll miaowl by the lamppost,

I’ll race, I’ll roister, I’ll roam,

I’ll wander the night by the moon’s yellow light

I’ll never want to go home . . .

Tomooooorooooow.

 

                                                            Gareth Owen

 

 

Time Child 

 

Dandelion, dandelion,

Dandelion flower,

If I breathe upon thee

Pray tell me the hour.

 

Little child, little child,

Little child I pray,

Breathe but gently on me

Lest you blow the time away.

 

                                                            Gareth Owen

 

The three poems are taken from Salford Road by Gareth Owen. Published by Kestrel Books, 1979. Copyright © Gareth Owen. Reproduced by permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd., 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN

 

If you've enjoyed these poems by Gareth Owen perhaps you would enjoy his latest collection: Icarus by mobile which you can obtain via Amazon.

 

Plus see Quercus Poems for Children:

http://www.quercuspublications.co.uk/poetry_books.html

 

22/11/18

 

Note

 

By coincidence I was helping a friend of mine clear out his loft recently and he came across the cup final edition of the Manchester Evening Chronicle for 25 May 1963. Manchester United beat Leicester City 3 1 with Denis Law scoring one of the goals. The reporter wrote:

 

"At first it looked as if Denis would not reach it - but he did. And with a swivel-and-slam Law found the the net with a cross-shot." 

 

He can swivel like an eel says the poem.

 

 

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