two children run hand in hand
upon a scrap of council land
their podgy parents sit and smoke
post social media video jokes
at the touch of a screen the lives of those
admired, despised and some they know
yes, they love their smartphones
they’ve made the toy strewn rough cut grass zone
their domain, their terraced castle grounds
where the little rascals babble with laughter
an old man watches on from his window
he’s the ‘paedo’ that was always a weirdo
who now never gets to go out
in fear of the shouts and taunts from the louts
whose two children run hand in hand
upon the scrap of council land
that separates them from the busy road
where the quarry lorries unload
a toxic cargo of asthma inducing invisible snow
to blight the already blighted glow
of futures held in the hands of others
parents, weirdos, councils, climate changers
the big wheeler dealers that keep things turning
the sun might be shining today, but tomorrow
the two children will reap the GMO hay fever
of meadows sown but heatwaves razed
yet, by heck, let us not get carried away!
let’s sit back and enjoy the two children play
hand in hand, laughing, running
as all children would no doubt want to do
slideaways 