Grandad

“Let’s see can we fix it”

He said
And off we went
To his shed

That smell
That space
His face

Guardsman
Fireman
Gentleman

Handwritten labels
On jars and billy cans
Rattled, full of screws and pins
Things that might come in handy

This is where I learned
Everything I know
The nuts and bolts of life

Work hard
Look after your mother
Be good

Old rags torn
From worn out pyjama fabric
In gaudy 1970’s print

Creosote, engine oil and Brut aftershave
Drill bits in little plastic drawers
I’ll never forget a single detail

It’s all there
In the shed
In my head

The only real-life man
I’ve ever aspired to be
Is you

See you on the moon