The Betrayal
The privilege was ours as we joined
Young and old together
Over biscuits and copious tea
Scrutinising body shapes
Man-made shapes
Self-image
Self harm
Shapes and movies
Self esteem
And when the film stopped.
She said
But we must always be in fashion
Politeness and sympathy prevailed
At the community centre
The women pursed their wrinkly lips
And screwed their eyes through sewing needles
Planning the routes of their threads
I edged in my unwanted voice to the pool
Do men come here?
A chorus spat back
They’ve got their carpentry
My sister’s a carpenter
My daughters a plumber
Fanny’s your aunt
And I left there
Neither excusing bad behaviour
Nor respecting my peers.
It was party time
Toys coloured the floor.
Dolly in her pram sat
Arms stretched upwards
And legs wide apart
Dinosaurs in rigor mortis sets
Saw the door open
And heard the united tut
As aunties looked down
At the boy.
They kicked the pink buggy
And a crumpled face erupted
Into confusion and rage-hot tears.
Boy Girl Girl Boy Pink Blue
Blue Pink Pink Blue Girl Boy
Roses are red Violets are blue
Little Boy Blue 
YOU ARE YELLOW.
This is ongoing.
Despicable you.
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