Backyard Cricket

This poem is © Geoff Brooks, first published in 1985.

Backyard Cricket

The summers of my youth
Were not spent
In working class agony
Nor in catholic guilt
Instead
My brother and myself
Spent the daylight hours
Immersed In backyard cricket

And in the suburban lot
Between the garage and the clothes hoist
We lived our boyish fantasies
He was Chappell
And I was Lillie
But Peter
That’s my brother
He's left home now
Gone to face life on his own

Don't suppose we'll play cricket
This summer or any other
And I know by the time
This summer is over
I'm going to be much much older

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