I smile a lot. Like buses and sunshine
And books from the library, smiling is cheap.
I smile when I dance and chat at the till -
But mostly I smile at the thought of sleep.

I smile as I gaze round my sparkling home,
No more dusty corners and dubious dishes.
It smells of sea breezes instead of old socks –
Too bad that the bleach is poisoning the fishes!

I sometimes rage too – at the girls who threw stones,
At men who ignored me and scoundrels who won.
Now they’re all dead and the hurts are forgotten.
I smile in relief –  it’s all over, all done.

“Or roight, bab?” a neighbour says as we pass,
And I know I belong at least for a while
In this city of strangers and separate lives,
And the heart lifts with pleasure as both of us smile.