The Promise

mum promised

we’d go and play bat and ball at the park

we were all set    two bats and a ball in a bag

and a bottle of made up orange  then jill and her mum came

and i cried     still wanted to go to the park    still wanted to play

bat and ball with mum

we all went    four of us    it felt okay    sort of

mum sat

batted words back and forth with jill’s mum

i played with jill    drank squash    it felt okay    sort of

i don’t remember playing bat and ball

with mum    ever

From Irene's Daughter, Poetry Space Ltd. 2010