Grandad

This is my favourite photo
It's of my Grandad
I don't know what year it was taken
Must have been the late fifties
It looks like he's somewhere in the Lake district
Probably on one of his biology trips
'moss bothering', as Gran used to call it
He's in his late middle age,
but you can see he's still strong
by the way he strides up the mountain
My Grandad was a proud man,
A fierce intellect, but not a man of words
He could be taciturn, I guess; maybe even contrary
but never unkind: well liked and wise

Here's another photo
It's also of my Grandad
at his passing out parade
This one must be really old
He was an officer in the household cavalry
He loved riding horses
As a young man he was a champion show jumper
but the war put a stop to that
It must have been a hell of a wound
but I never heard him complain
A fine man

Here he is
At a funfair in Weston Super Mare
That' my Gran in the background
holding my Dad's hand
Grandad was a great shot
He put two coconut shies
out of business
Guaranteed bullseye every time
even as an old man
He used to tell us it was magic
Such strong hands
Such broad shoulders
Magnificent, isn't he?

Here's my Grandad
At blackpool pier
In 1928
He would have been 19
He's still wet from the sea
Leaning against the pier
Stripped to the waist
There's something about
the angle of his leg...
Gorgeous

Here he is with his uniform
undone to the navel
This is my favourite
He's just so there
Spectacular
Bristling with vigour
Gleaming
Look at him
Go on
Look at him
Look at my grandad
My wonderful, tall, smoking hot,
Grandad
Grandad
Grandad

© Chris Hicks 2007