I Remember

by Robert
(Tavares, U.S.)

I remember the war, it was 1942, Mother was a single mom, we lived in Partick, in a single end, four of us.

A lot of days we didn't eat, we were always hungry.

We ate what we could find in the middins. One day I found a loaf of bread, it was mouldy and hard as a rock. Mother put it in milk and cooked it in the oven. It turned out to be delicious, that and a big dollop of lard.

My brother and I would catch rats (I was 4 yrs old) I remember how proud we were when we got 8-9 rats. Mom would dress them and put them in the pot and make a big stew. All the children knew of mother's stew and would line up with their bowls....

PS: None of us ever died.

I could on and on about poverty and how we survived.

The winters were harsh, cold, no money fur gas, we would hudddle together in the dark. I would hug my wee sister for warmth. My brother and I would follow the coal merchant with a wee bucket and pick up the droppings. That night was a blessing. I looked at the flames, its warmth. I was so happy.

I could go on and on.... To-day I live in Florida, it was a long journey. I didn't get here by my own efforts. I got here by the Grace of God and my sponsor Pres John F Kennedy (1963)