Angel Child

The soft thud of her pink bike

Abandoned
to the varnish wood
Of the decking
Her smiling mouth
With its gappy milk teeth
Waiting to fall out

Impossible to be glum
When her smile’s bestowed on you

“I’m too big for stabilizers now.
I can only stay for biscuits
And chocolate spread.” She says in
Her direct five year old way
Taking over my chair and TV

Removing the pink helmet carelessly
She reveals fine shiny hair in plaited tails
Tendrils already escaping the
Confines of clips and bobbled restrain

Summer dress and Wellington boots
Expectation of sunshine and shower
Wet sand
and the splashing pleasure of
Potholes spilling over with last night rainfall

A rainbow of brightness and colour
She opens herself to a new day.
Breathless anticipation wrapped
In a small body of infinite energy

A beautiful butterfly
fluttering on
The cusp of adventure
Impatient, for the next moment
Next thing.

The call of her friends
Sun glimmering on her
Summer tanned face and arms.
Brown legs – bruises shining
Trophies of yesterday’s fun