A pair of love birds caught my eye
As I passed the pet shop
I stopped to watch them,
aware of their closeness
They held me there
longer than I intended
Life is not portable, I am late
Last night’s sleeping pills
Still groggy in mind
There is no guarantee in life
That a partner is out there
I pass through my old housing block
A small child with her helium balloon smiles
I drop my bad mood and smile back
I would like to collect smiles like that
To keep for a rainy day
If I had the power,
I would cull this dirty tenement block
Like so many I pass through on my way to work…
© Anita Dawes 2021
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