First Day, March 23rd 

There was a frost this morning.  

A glass had been left outside,  

sitting in the kids’ red Radio Flyer.  

It had crystalized, a bowl of perfectly  

patterned white, hiding from the sun  

behind a sky-blue fence.  

Paper rounds quickly shed dressing gowns, 

and computer rotas, edited only once,  

meant schoolwork was sort of painless.  

The sun shined all day, the glass was brought  

inside and placed carefully in the dishwasher.  

Laundry was a breeze. 

By the afternoon I could hear lawnmowers  

through an open window and my Twitter  

feed showed pictures of a Blundell Park bathed  

in sunshine. Such a strange time to feel so fine.