Mrs Stuart
She’s very roly poly.
If her apron strings come undone, her body bits
will probably spill all over the kitchen floor.
When she sits in her radio chair, I back into her knees,
and she scoops me onto her lap. She has to keep hitching
me backwards to stop me sliding off.
We drink tea and milk and eat quiet biscuits.
Mostly, I don't understand the Archers. They talk very funny
so I just nod, and shake my head when she does.
Sometimes I have to remind her to add important things
to her shopping list, like lollipops. Mr De Clifford, the grocer,
doesn’t know old ladies need lollipops every week.
On Sundays, she dresses up.
I don’t think her apron is under her coat, so I just give her
my best after-church smile and dash away to mind our baby.
Ruth Arnison has recently retired which means her garden and writing are finally receiving the attention they deserve. She's the instigator of Lilliput Libraries - there are now 420 throughout New Zealand - and was the editor of Poems in the Waiting Room (NZ) for its 13-year lifespan. Poetryinmotion is Ruth's latest passion – arranging collaborative projects with poets and artists of all mediums.
