David Hart
Lily in the Park
These are the animals in Lily’s handbag:
zebra, lizard, potbellied pig, greyhound, white horse, duck.
She takes them out one by one in the windy park,
stands them in a semi-circle on the bench
and tells them the news:
‘An earthquake has killed a hundred people in South America,
Mr Stephenson’s shop is closed this afternoon because it is
Wednesday.
A house and its family across town have been fire-bombed.
Tomorrow it will be Christine, my friend’s, 50th birthday.
The limes along Linden Road have been trimmed.
A space probe is heading for the edge of space
and will bring back messages about our starry neighbours.
Poisoned dust is crossing the ocean towards us.
Melissa’s operation has been postponed again.
The school I used to go to is being knocked down’.
Lily puts the zebra. the lizard, the potbellied pig, the greyhound,
the white horse and the duck one by one back into her bag.
They are calmer now and will not trouble her.
Page(s) 73
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