Taken for granted
    The household orbit in childhood
The punctual sound of the gong
    The round of domestic service.

The lamps were trimmed at six,
    Sticks were lavish for firewood,
The cat made bread of my knees,
    The housewife shopped in the morning.

The shops were fragrant, the blistered
    Vagrant peered in the windows
At tripes like deep-sea plants,
    Sausages in ropes of marble.

On the knees of bountiful gods
    We lived in the ease of acceptance
Taking until we were twenty
    God’s plenty for granted.