Thirteen
She rolls mascara eyes
at our old jokes
and sleeps till noon.
The quilt cover
with the pony pattern
and cuddly toys
get packed away.
She’d rather have nothing
on the quilt
nothing to remind her
she was a child.
She kisses her frogs
goodbye
sells them to the pet shop.
The rabbit and guinea pig
are left to roam free
in the garden
content
like the cat and dog
not to be dressed
in dolls clothes
any more.
She has traded them all
for an eternity
of conversations
on the mobile phone
and computer –
MSN and MySpace.
She hangs
with boys instead -
hoping perhaps
that they will turn
into princes.
“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