School ends

School ends for Andrew

How did time pass?
In the minutes
I guess.

Little legs in shorts
(every day whatever the weather)
Holding hands,
Holding the buggy handle
to the school gates.


Moving on to goodbyes at the bridge,
then at the corner of Highburgh Drive,
then the lights,
the top of the street,
now a shout of "bye!"
Before the door slams behind you.

Independence crept up on us all
in the minutes and the moments.
Words to spell each night,
Silly sentences to make up.
to essays,
and closed reading,
Higher English.

Numbers to count,
and write,
and add up,
went to equations,
and weird pages of
working that are
(according to your maths teacher)
excellent - but to me
are utter confusion!

You grew up
the parental anxieties remain,
and the deep love,
that no one ever prepared us for,
and will never go away.