Though my mother ...
... her transport pass.
You couldn't just ...
... such a crime.
He couldn't risk ...
... get the tea.
I believe life ...
... I still call.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Read Harrison's "Long Distance I" — "Long Distance II" is a continuation of this earlier poem Harrison wrote about his father after his mother died.
Tony Harrison, "Man of Mysteries" — Read about Harrison's working-class background and devotion to a more "approachable" kind of writing.
A Reading of the Poem — The poem as read by Daniel J. P. Loughnane.
Learn About the Poet's Life — A Poetry Foundation biography of Harrison.
Harrison on Family and Education — A book review discussing Harrison's complicated relationship to his own education and how, in some ways, it alienated him from his parents.