Let's Go Back in Time

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Let's go back in time

to 1933

to a little boy 

of 7 years old

who loved to draw

and dream
of sailing the seas

according to my Grandmother' note

the sailing ship was drawn

when he was six

The class photo

is of 'Standard One'

in New Zealand

roughly equivalent to Grade 3,

when students were seven years old

Geoffrey sits bottom centre

Geoffrey

was in Standard 1 A

at Timaru Primary School

where he learned to draw 

cherry blossom

the little boy also
had a love for nature

I am touched by this picture

with his own handwritten title

and the date

of 29.6.33

(We write the date 

in the day-month-year 

format down here)

I found this treasure

in a worn paper wrapper

with my Grandmother's label

Geoffrey's Drawings

Std 1 A

Aged 7

The little boy

grew up

and ran away to sea at sixteen
on the sailing ship Pamir

Too young to enlist

he joined 

the American Merchant Navy

He is now preparing for his final voyage

Sail away, sail away,  sail away Dad...

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