Weather
by Gill Ward
We are not allowed
to talk about the weather
in our house.
In our house
we do not talk about
the weather
The weather
is all they talk about
in the north of England
In the north of England
talking about the weather
is all they do
All they do
is talk about the weather
because there is nothing
because there is nothing
much else to talk about.
in the north of England
in the north of England
the weather is what they discuss
that and sometimes illness
that and sometimes illness
and sometimes who’s died
and then the weather
and then the weather
and also the war
and the enormous part
the enormous part
and essentially important
part they played in it.
the part they played in it
and the ration books
and what the neighbours did
and what the neighbours did
but they don’t orphan
the major component
the major component,
the weather, because
the weather always needs
the weather always needs
a mother and a father
to talk about it