My childhood friend, we’ll call her Jules
Our lives kept pace through different schools
She was a child when Daddy died
The cancer ate him up inside.
She didn’t know about the pain
Relief that fogged his addled brain.
She didn’t know her great grandma
Had gone the same way years before
No pain relief for her back then
No hospitalisation
She lay there helpless, agonised
Till mercifully at last she died.
Times were hard for Jules’ Mum
Child benefit was such a boon
Three kids to feed and free school milk
Meant Jules grew strong – all the kids did
Free meals at school meant Jules stayed nourished
While Mum to better herself studied
Jules mother strived to make life better
A grant for college and a letter
Explaining how she’d few resources
Helped her to study pre-reg courses
By the time we went to secondary school
Jules’ Mum was working as a teacher
She’d passed her exams, fees all paid
And life was going up a grade
Jules’ flew through school, she’s very clever
And uni was her next endeavour
Free tuition, like her Mum
A great career had just begun
Soon after getting her first job
Jules conceived her first child, Bob
Her aunt had lost her job that way
But Jules just got maternity pay
And soon enough she came right back
Nobody had given her the sack
Bob grew up strong, a fine young man
And so is Mike, Jules second one
They’re both good lads, Bob’s soon to vote
He’s thinking Labour’s worth a punt
But Jules took him aside last night
And warned against that left wing shite
Fine words are all well and good you see
But the Labour party’s done nowt for me!
Left eye view 