Bubble bath babe
Rising like a nymph from the foam
she hurled a handful of white bubbles in the air,
her hair in tendrils
clinging around her glowing cherubic face.
“Please play with me,” she pleaded,
piling delicate bubbles on her head.
“Look! All the rainbows in the world are here.
I see purple and red and yellow.
How does that happen?
What’s inside the bubbles?
Now I’ll make a castle.
Or I can be a unicorn
if I put it all in a heap on my head.
Watch me and I’ll make it snow.”
She cupped her hands
scooped up bubbles and blew them in the air,
showering the walls
and laughing as the bubbles popped in her face
The cherub rolled around in the froth
until it covered all of her.
“Now I’m a snowman.
Can I get out now, Grandma?
I’m cold.”
“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