LOVELY DAUGHTER
Artwork by Amy Irvine
My toddler has a small pink bike
And shorts adorned with kittens
A blue raincoat with tractors on
A pair of teddy mittens
A pair of chubby cheeks and all
Where mud is always smeared
Or chocolate spread or glitter-glue
And blood and snot and tears
Long blonde hair that knots itself
However much you brush
A sunny disposition
And a tendency to rush
Play-fighting and singalongs
Are staples day to day
And cuddles too, and talk of poo
Is never far away
Charming everywhere they go
And almost everyone
Says, “You have a lovely daughter”
Not, “You have a lovely son”
To which I reply, “Thank you”