Shoe Woman Song

Buildings have crashed,
walls turned to rubble,
the sky said
Chicken-Licken has fallen
and the woman
who used to live in the shoe
has emigrated to New South Wales
where, spaced out,
balance gone,
teetering on dizzy feet,
she surfs, smokes cigarettes,
basks in the aftermath.

The children left behind
squabble over bed-times,
steal each other’s food
and party dresses,
stamp on toys
and cry amongst the ruins.