Owed to Stafford (Not an Ode)

I owe you Stafford for the days spent gazing 

in awe at all the stuff in your museum,when I was 

barely tall enough to see into the cases.

I owe you Stafford for the dentists at your old 

infirmary, who sorted out my crooked teeth

by fitting me with braces.

I owe you Stafford for my reward for being good,

for Knickerbocker Glories at the Pop-in Cafe,

which was next to The Top of the World.

I owe you Stafford for Saturdays with scruffy types on 

motorbikes, and afternoons in the Stafford Arms, 

a formative experience for a girl.

I owe you Stafford for Marks & Spencer’s 

Childrenswear and Lingerie- my first real job 

in 1975, for me a milestone year.

I owe you Stafford for your county as, wherever 

I decide to live, my heart will always be 

in Staffordshire.