One summer’s morning
I get an early bus
to visit my parents
in Derry.

I’m really looking forward
to this visit
because we have something special
lined-up –
a sing-song!

But, first things first –
tea, cream cookies
and a visit to Fiorentini’s.
Then, with CD and songbooks ready,
we settle down
for our sing-song.

These are no ordinary songs.
They’re songs from childhood
that Mammy used to sing
around the house
or play on her wee, red record player
in the kitchen.

And so the three of us,
Mammy, Daddy and me,
spend an hour singing away.
Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,
The Castle of Dromore,
Little Boxes and Little Arrows,
all sung with smiles
and with gusto.
(And if we can’t reach the notes,
is that really that important?)

One song is extra-special –
If I Had a Golden Umbrella.
A song that Mammy,
now eighty-eight,
learned as a school girl,
perfecting it with her friend
as they walked around
the school garden
at Thornhill.

Songs from childhood –
Mammy’s and mine.
Songs of happy memories
and carefree days.

Thank You, Lord,
for the wonderful gift of music
to lift the heart.
And thank You, Lord,
for this wee family sing-song –
another happy memory
to make us all smile!

© Claire Murray, 3rd July 2025