Lenah Valley Butchery by Diane Briggs (McFarlane)

Mr Willey lived in Courtney Street too and was the local butcher. Campbells had the grocers which is now Salamanca Fresh, and O'Neals had the grocers shop which is now the florist. Mr Forster was the newsagent.

Lenah Valley Butchery

I feel the sawdust still.

Scuffed toes of school shoes

poking patterns,

creating childhood castles in the air,

waiting for Mr. Willey

to wrap the weekly order,

written on the back of an envelope

in my Mother's hand,

bold and beautiful,

as she was then

when she was young

and I was young,

and brains and tripe

were on the menu.

Writing still

in that same hand

on sheets and pillowcases

at the nursing home,

memories of Lenah Valley

slipping like sawdust

through the fingers of time.