Pho 

You drop me off 

I wave goodbye 

half gut wrenching angst 

half skipping away with freedom 

The red dress in the window 

catches my eye 

You'd like the black cats 

Panthers 

Tigers 

Oh 

Mummy 

You'd sigh 

It's a cheetah 

with a roll of the eye 

Do you not know anything!?! 

How appropriate 

this dress 

comes from 

The Cats Protection league 

What's that? 

I hear you question 

Even though you're not here 

my mind used to expecting 

the questions 

Oh so many questions 

Your inquiring mind 

What's that Mummy? 

I even have to explain that 

sometimes I find it a bind 

when my brain is overloaded 

with so many tasks 

and you're asking 

Why is everyone 

wearing all these masks? 

Or what 23 add 45 is 

You're asking the wrong parent 

I was only interested in 

the male teacher not the Maths 

£4 is a bargain 

I expect it will fit 

Next stop Thai food 

I'm too late 

oh shit 

I'll go buy you a body brush 

That's next on my list 

I like yours Mummy 

Buy me one 

You insist 

Not in stock till Wednesday 

a strange conversation ensues 

I clarify sizes 

our masks confuse 

Communication 

disconnected 

we finally fuse 

our words behind cloth 

Lips hidden from view 

I thank her 

and weave through 

the social distance dance 

To duplicate a batman 

electric toothbrush 

for the advanced 

brusher of teeth 

that you now truly are 

I'm doing it properly Mummy 

You can watch from afar 

The offer has ended 

half price suspended 

confusing labels 

Misplaced 

Mislabelled 

I often wonder 

if on purpose 

to catch out the consumer 

The retailer misled 

the fat cats fed 

Empty handed 

I duck and dive 

hand sanitise 

to stay alive 

Wince as the liquid 

seeps into my thumb 

raw and wide open 

from all the hand washing 

I make a mental note 

to give myself the thumbs up 

I am oblivious of time 

this clock watch today isn't mine 

Foot loose and fancy free 

I wander with glee 

to my favourite shop 

that will sadly soon close 

I buy some essentials 

and some of those 

I offer my empathy 

in a big oversized dose 

We talk of all things 

put the world 

to women's rights 

Talk of all of the things 

we still have to fight 

For in this strange world 

where money is the currency 

Do we truly value the things 

that we give for free? 

Like our love and our care 

Our time and our energy 

When we lend an ear 

Do we expect it back 

with added interest? 

Kindness behind the mask 

People now distrust 

Connections 

Unconnected 

Touch a must 

For humans are physical beings 

A hand on an arm 

not always just there 

when you're wanting to charm 

But to reassure 

and respond 

to human emotion 

This virus is testing 

our very notion 

of being 

human 

Kind 

to 

all 

living 

things