Poem: When I was a child

'When I was a child, we sung to...'

by Steve Day 29th May 2026

‘First let past the horses black and then let past the brown
Quickly run to the white steed and pull the rider down.’
Tam Lin (trad.)

When I was a child, we sung to
the Pearly Queen who hid 
her horses by the river.
Our house held the floodgate 
that opened to let high water 
drain into marshland.
In the rainy season, the place looked 
like a barge breaking a bow wave.
Inside, the rooms smelt waterlogged.