Reference

When Dad left the Royal Navy
he discarded most of his stuff.
His uniform symbolically shed,
thrown from a train window.

He boarded the train as a matelot,
clutching his discharge papers,
stripped naked in the compartment,
threw out cap, jacket, and bell bottoms,
and arrived home in his demob suit.

He kept his 'watchkeeping coat'.

A freshly minted 'Civvy',
looking for a job.
With a simple hand-written reference
which said it all,

"This man is punctual, hardworking,
and can be trusted to work without supervision."

Years later I earned something similar,
but it was only verbal,
passed between two foremen.
I wish I had it in writing.

"That man can shift some fucking work."

Gyppo