When I think of you
I still see what I think you saw
In the mirror.
Earth mother
Nurturing, nourishing, kind
So good with children.
Your daughters
Raised on educational games
And organic produce.
Your house
Full of cozy floral prints
And art that dreamed
Of a fairer world.
You made me sit in the footwell of the car
Because I did not deserve a seatbelt.
You always made beans on toast when I came for tea
Because I was not worth really cooking for.
You watched your daughters bully me
Having learned from you how much less I was than them.
But when I think of you
I still think of your beautiful house
And your bountiful garden
And the kindness in your smile
That was never really meant
For me.
Tom Juniper Poetry 