TV Tragedy
Their dark-eyed, desolate brown faces
stayed with me for days; the documentary
was about the Catholic church’s view
of contraception and abortion –
no matter what the circumstances.
I was cocooned safe in my home –
my luxurious, spacious, peaceful home,
while I watched this family
of five or six children, all under 8 years old
live out their days in a two-metre by two-metre crate,
right next to a busy railway track.
Around them were hundreds of blank faces,
(all the men were out at work)
bodies crouched in small, dark spaces
too low and too narrow for an adult
to stand or stretch out in sleep.
“Being at home can be fun, insulating, relaxed, boring or isolating ... depending on how the day is going.”*
School holidays are almost over in my part of the world – six long weeks of noise and squabbling balanced by hot, lazy days at the beach or the pool with lots of daring exploits and laughter. Many of our days were spent at home, basking in simple pleasures like baking, playing games or outdoor pursuits – trying to relax the everyday routines of school-morning bustle and ‘having to be somewhere on time’. However pleasant, I must admit to being relieved that life gets back to normal next week, and I can reclaim some of my own time for writing again!
* From Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin published April 2007