That’s life
In those early winter days we would warm
ourselves before the coal fire
always jostling for the best position
I would traipse home from school
through the woods and across the fields
my pockets bulging with sweet chestnuts
which I would balance on the fender
occasionally turning with the tongs
until they were completely roasted
The hearth really was the heart
of the home and it drew us together
I know now that the warmth of those days
and the taste of those chestnuts
will never return : that’s life
John Lyons