I often thought about running away from home

when I was a child,

not because I was unhappy or ill treated,

neglected or even abused

by those charged with caring for me,

but simply due to the map of the world

that graced the wall of my bedroom,

surrounded by torn out pictures

of Steve Heighway, Johan Cruyff,

Colin Bell on football styled 1978

World Cup designed wall paper

that was all the rage in Birmingham

during Argentina’s rise to prominence.

 

The map became torn and scuffed