A robin sat on the roof
And sang his heart out
As we loaded wet concrete
Into the barrow,
Shovel by painful shovel,
And pushed it away
To lay the wall’s foundations.
With two tons shifted
Since the lorry unloaded
And two still to go,
We were in no mood to sing,
But robin sang on
Into the grey afternoon.
Our hearts were lighter
Even if our loads were not.
23 December 1971
Some mornings when the sun is up
And Daddy doesn’t go to work,
He comes to fetch me in my cot
And takes me to the double bed
Where Mummy lies, still half asleep.
The bed is downy soft and warm
And all the room is pink and white
And golden with the morning sun.
While Daddy lies and reads his book,
I play with Tick-tock and with things
Which Daddy keeps there just for me.
His watch and cuff-links I like best,
But oh! The glasses on his nose
Are such delight, I put them on
While Daddy watches anxiously,
But Mummy hardly ever stirs.
I tell them when it’s time for food
And off we go for milk and flakes
And toast with Mummy’s marmalade.
Believers in spells
We hardly speak of it,
And yet we know
Within your secret self
The baby grows
And daily lays his claim
To food and space, to air,
To life itself,
And to our life
Which until now we shared
In love and work
And peaceful happiness.
For these quiet years
When we like rivers flowed
Each into each,
Our separate streams to bind,
My thanks and love,
My joy and faithfulness.
And for this change
When we from two shall grow
Into a third,
And found its infant life
On work and faith,
Be you my heart
And daily comforter,
As I’ll your strength
And constant husband be.
30 July 1969
I have a homing instinct for the stars 
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