DAPHNE 7

For those aged 60 or more

This was my name

as an Argonaut aged seven,

confined to the floor

in front of the valve radio

while adventurers inside

visited exotic places,

took risks confronting dangers

in pursuit of the Golden Fleece.

Blue and Purple Certificates, Dragon’s Tooth,

Golden Fleece, Golden Fleece and Bar –

these comprised our weekly logs of progress,

told how we and fellow Argonauts

were travelling. I rarely won a Blue,

never had a contribution read on air.

In the adventurers’ song

I could not understand the words

That dangers lie ahead we know, we know,

so let them lie, their phonetics religious abstractions:

And wrong will bow to right “Jason” cry

Adventure know

Argonauts Row! Row! Row! –

Likewise.

Now all is wrecked – my badge lost,

memories of evenings

listening intently to the radio

eating cheese on toast

have blurred, names gone.

No Jason to guide and fears crowd;

we row at night, destination unknown,

my muscles far from strong.