Timeless toys
There’s a train on the kitchen bench,
two puzzles on the study floor.
A saucepan and a wooden spoon,
next to it, a dinosaur.
Toys are left where he changed his mind,
a turning point in the play.
I never quite know what I’ll find
by the finish of the day.
But night has come, I’ll rest a while
and haven’t yet put them away.
those toys that made him squeal and smile,
echoes of his boisterous play.
I shall leave them however long:
a spotless house is not a prize.
I wait to hear delightful song
with that sparkle in his eyes.
“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