A Near Death Experience
A very old poem posted with Griffoner in mind
‘Kiss me,’ she said on our
first date, sitting on busted
leather seats outside her
mum and dad’s house inside
the 1948 Hillman Minx with
a month’s MOT left on it.
I kissed her and she wanted
me to go to Dartford Heath.
‘What’s the rush?’ I said,
unable to believe my luck.
‘Haven’t you heard?’ she
obsessed, ‘Russia’s sending
missiles to Cuba. I don’t
want to die a virgin.’ her eyes
pleaded, aided by clumsy fingers
tugging on my fly. ‘I don’t have
“things.’” I warned in half-heart.
‘I don’t care, we’re going to die.’
And so, in October ‘62, North Kent’s
hippie movement was conceived.
what are these ‘things’ all about? curious!
Oh Nicoletta you embarrass me.
‘Things’ a sort of polite word for condoms
condoms, a word not widely used pre-HIV
Thing: AKA
Durexes
Rubber Johnnies
French letters
Thames trout (also used for floating turds)
Frenchies
Johnnies
Rubbers
and no doubt many other names depending on where you lived
No contraceptive pills back then
Fucking bare back was a gamble many were prepared to take because dying from AIDS wasn’t an issue.
I thought it was drugs. is it your way of saying it like that or was it indeed a polite term used back then
This might explain about ‘things’ (I being Anglican can where a ‘thing’)
https://youtu.be/mWWAC5ZMKeM
funny but sad. omg.
So true. Very sad
Stunning poem.
I passed through Dartford and Gravesend on my travels looking for the bike shed where Dickens played with Pocohontas, but all I found was a tin of sardines.
By gad, sir! You need to go to darkest Kent, to the land where dartboards do not have trebles.
I went to Swanscombe once and thought I had fallen into a parallel universe where people all drove souped up ford escorts and capris. I drank myself out of that very quickly!
It was always a sh-hole. Can’t imagine what it’s like now.
Sorry I wasn’t around to welcome this to UKA, Guaj. 🙂
I haven’t been to Dartford Heath. North Kent, yes. I lived in Cliftonville for a while, and travelled every day by bus to Canterbury Technical College. There was this girl, Sandra, who was my first adolescent love. We used to sit together on the journey and we’d hold hands…….. *SIGHS*
I loved your poem, by the way… which is what I should have said to start with but you got me carried away. 😉
Allen
Nicer area than Bexley/Dartford area. I studied at Woolwich poly. I’m sure Canterbury was more pleasant, but at least when I qualified I was allowed to buy a London Uni scarf. Wore it with pride. I felt like Paul Simon on the cover of my Simon and Garfunkel album.
My first big love dumped me for a bloke with a Mini (I had an elderly 100E)
I think most of Dartford heath is ruined by the A2 and upgraded local roads now, judging by Google Maps (not been there for eons)
Pleased you liked the poem, Allen.
Ha ha Loved it! Gave me a right laugh but was also very descriptive.
Alison x
Thanks Alison. Fun during dark days huh?