Mother And Child

 

Squatting, she hammered the black coke,

To fire the kiln to bake the bricks;

Near at hand, on the black dust,

Under her mother’s protective gaze,

Sprawled her bastard child,

Grinning, naughty and playful;

Often she glanced at her tiny tot,

Her smile, a veritable sunset at sea,

Broke thro’ the coal smeared visage;

Her eyes sparkled black diamonds,

Baby- talk gurgling embraced the child,

Smooth as black cultured pearls,

Twin bolts of black velvet! Sheen beauties! Black swan and cygnet!

Suddenly the skies opened up and left

Two human clods out in the cold!

 

ã Phillip ”Peedy” David

Black Swan and Cygnet/19 Dec 2001/

For poetry.com Mar2002