Margaret Alice Second (24 January 1961 / South Africa)

Non-slip carpet & fold-down box doubles as
a place to sit, in blue to complement mother's
colour scheme of room furnishings in the age
care home where she is campaigning to get
everyone doing exercises, convincing young
mothers-to-be home birth is preferable to high-
cost interventionist hospital confinement which
exposes babies to greater risks - mother is a
firebrand breaking rules

Living her own dream, infusing enthusiasm in
me for her schemes, I'm out scouting for things
mother may need, enjoying the activity, and in
between mother leads her coterie of friends to
sing, those outside the inner circle complain of
favouritism and gossiping by mother's gang
but I know mother's ways - anarchism and
rebellion against the status quo

And attempts to revolutionise events until a
new plan hatches; then mother will forget prior
arrangements, leave angry conspirators as
she dances (or rather wobbles) off to engage
in new fantasies - while those she left in the
lurch will soon be re-charmed by her energy
and infectious enthusiasm again