This one with the upside-down mouth

is Mommy; Daddy’s hung over

the end of the bed. That’s why he’s grumpy

when she tries to wake him for dinner –

shouting, crying, pushing him onto the cold,

plastic floor. Me and my sister are stuck

on chairs at the empty table.

 

It’s Mommy’s turn to go sleepy because

she’s taken too many tablets. Or not enough,

Daddy said, and laughed and shook

her shoulders. Mommy was sick all over

the chicken. Cock-a-doodle, nah, nah, nah, nah.

That’s the police-car or the ambulance.

One of them gave us sweets.

 

Then we came to pretend Mommy and Daddy,

who don’t know how to play games properly.

We’ve built two towers, one red, one blue.

The red is for Daddy’s block of flats

when he gets out of prison. The blue

is how Mommy went up to heaven

after the helicopter found her.