The Walk to Church

Make a decision
Where to pray?
Long walk or short walk
Where to today

Rosie or Edith
Mary or Peter
Modern metallic
Or cosy and old

Which church to go to
I need to be bold
Mary is modern
Peter is old

Mary is nearer
But Peter has soul
Rosie likes Mary
For Edith no choice

Decisions, decisions
But what of my feet
If I choose Mary
A short walk I’ll make

Peter is further
But with richer returns
Dandy and Beano
Our Wullie and Broons

Mary its closer
But pops the reward
Schofields big bottles
Clip top and all

Peter looks favourite
Despite the long way
Dandy and Beano
What can one say

I spent much of my childhood, particularly weekends and school holidays with my grandmother, Aunties Edith and Rose, Uncle's Ron and Alan, quite a house full. They lived at 35 Bath Street, part of Liverpools dock road, a mile north from the Pier Head. Being good Catholics, one of the rituals from an early age was church on Sunday. I had to choose between Auntie Edith who preferred St Peters, Seel  Street, a longish walk across the deserted city centre. Or Auntie Rose who frequented the local parish church of St Mary, Highfield Street, a slightly shorter walk away. For a small boy both options had there attractions but Auntie Edith resorted to out and out bribery. It was her job on a Sunday to pick up the Sunday papers from a quaint newsagent in Moorefields. The shop was crammed from floor to ceiling with papers, books and magazines a veritable grotto of envy. No contest…

Alistair Parker
12th December 2013