CELIA'S POEMS

           No 92  June 17

              My first husband did his National Service,

              But not ‘til 21,

              He didn’t go at 18,

              ‘cause I’d just lost my mum.

              Every boy had to do 2 years,

              No leave for the first 6 weeks,

              So we wrote letters every day,

              So in touch we could keep.

              At the end of the first 6 weeks,

              He had his passing out parade,

              I’d to go to Honiton, in Devon,

              The arrangements were all made.

              I travelled down by train at night,

              I sat there on my own,

              I’d not been on a train before,

              I really felt alone.

              I had to change in Exeter,

              A nice man said he’d help me,

              Then bought me a coffee,

              And showed me where I had to be,

              When I got to the barracks,

              All the lads were glad I went,

              They all wanted to thank me,

              For the cakes each week I’d sent.

              There was an inspection

              They had to look their best,

              Jack of course had me there,

              So his trousers I had pressed.

              In fact the Corporal who was in charge,

              Hadn’t got along with Jack,

              But he helped me to press the pants,

              Jack laughed behind his back.

              At night we all went to a dance,

              They’d not been out for quite a while,

              Because of all my baking,

              They treated me in style.

              Jack didn’t like The Army,

              Some others, thought it great,

              But before he could get out of it,

              We had 2 years to wait.