An International Woman

‘Come in, come in!’
my mother summoned
to me, as I played outside
in the garden.

It was the news droning
Same as always, but 1988:
‘You have to watch this! It’s
the Berlin Wall coming down!’

‘It’s one of the most important
things in our lifetimes’ she
continued, so I duly watched
the item, waiting to play out again.

News: to a child that dull background
Of horrors hidden behind black
And white and grey, suddenly hitting
in full colour somewhere around 30,

And then the tense flickering wait through
Bright years of too much information
For it to once again subside into
Constant, repeating words and pictures.

Outside butterflies and sunshine
And that first fruit and flowers,
Singing and skipping and
Always playing, and why not, while
Inside, cool darkened rooms.