English Poems Index


Grandfather :


Our grandfather by the sea, blind.

His deck chair settles our rug on the stones

and his face takes sunlight like thirst.

We always play games that need speaking;

each of our cards and moves are told.

And he smiles in his taking part.

We are saying our childhood to this old man

and his beautiful face, liver-marked and shy,

has no end in its space, no end in its gentleness,

to hold a whole life of listening left to do.


By Oliver Shelley



About The Poet :

Oliver Shelley grew up near Oxford and now (2009 : March) lives in Cambridge, England.



Words to Know :

Deck Chair : a collapsible adjustable outdoor chair with a wooden framework and a seat usually made from a piece of strong fabric suspended between the top and bottom of the central frame

Liver-Marked : a usually dark brown patch of pigmentation on the skin, usually occurring later in life