Thursday May 07, 2009
blue tongue
Jamaal who works at the dairy likes me because I’m always polite and once I took him fresh chillies from my garden.
This means, though, that he tries to give my children toxic blue lollipops. Mostly, I try to refuse - but sometimes he slips them into hands while my back is turned. By the time we get home, they have blue lips, blue tongues, grey teeth.
Despite my best efforts,
I cannot protect my children from blue food colouring.
I cannot protect my children from tooth decay.
I cannot protect my children from acts of misguided kindness.
I cannot protect my children.