Little girl painting her toes in the mirror grapefruit pink  “Daddy’s home!” but she pretends she doesn’t hear  Monday rolls around and Mummy’s still got a swollen eye  A week

later Daddy takes his pills again and cleans the counters and brings tulips home

It’s now July and the girl watches fat bees gorge on orchids  She picks one that’s apricot orange

After school she rides the bus to see Mummy but the flowers are already rusting at the tips “Thank you sweetie”

Says the nurse “I’ll make sure she gets it when she wakes up”