Two girls sat together;
Jane is 8, has a sleek dark hair cut that bobs in the 80's
Cathy is 6 with curly blonde hair that spirals through the years

Bottoms cold against the step,heads warming in the sun
Jane says " I went to the park with dad yesterday"
Cathy tells her, My dad hit my mum again last night
Silence befalls them
Child-like dreams caught in the net of adult reality
The truth dawning during the mid-day sun
Fish of hope hopping in the net

Cathy thinks she should have asked if they took butties

Its quite nice you know
at the table for single-parented but doubly-loved kids
They are children well warmed in winter
Bathed on Sundays
And shouted in when its late

They smell of protection and Flex shampoo

They feel blessed and magical
A novelty to question in school
A person of focus at home
The Christmas tree carries them home on an excited breeze
The Easter Bunny brings sweet surprises
The tooth fairy leaves a dental reprise
Their siblings birthday brings us a gift
so they are remembered and loved

And Father Christmas exceeds himself!

Someone took fragmented bits of life
and pieced them together like primary colours
And stickle bricks
A person moved home and school
to a place safe and warm
Some one cared to walk her kids to school
miles through the cold.

 

A lady gave all she could
Having little for herself
Then made a family of three.
Sharing a double bed
filled with fairy tales and tomorrows

They had each other, chicken and chips, Fraggle Rock and a two bar eleccie heater.
Cold hands, warm hearts and a hot water bottle.

That lady, the person, that protector

Is Their mum