I look at your little hands
greasy, chubby, perfect
gripping melt-in-the-mouth sticks
made by clever companies who know
that chubby little hands
are tempted and elated
to be allowed to wrap around
melt-in-the-mouth sticks
and that parents are
tempted and elated
to have one minute’s peace during melting
bliss
£1.50 for carrotty crumbs
and a snap crunch melt
Then the algorithm,
sneaking up with its best Boo.
A Primark haul, M&S picky bits
then—
He’s a bit like you,
but not chubby
raked instead,
skin clinging to bones,
Mickey Mouse sagging on coat-hanger shoulders
I want to Sudacrem your elbows
trying to lift the bowl of rice
up above railings
too heavy for such a little life
You should have the melty sticks too my darling
How I wish I could send you packets and packets,
my heart
snap crunch melt
How I wish the edges
of your jagged world
would melt away
Georgia Nicholson is a writer and actress originally from the North East of England. Most recently, she won the Spoken Word category of the international Voice and Verse competition, for the Classical Association in partnership with the Sir John Soane’s Museum. This year, her theatre work has been performed at Live Theatre Newcastle, the Utilita Arena Newcastle, and New Wimbledon Studio, and she is currently developing a number of new plays. Her spoken-word work has featured on The Shrew Series podcast, and in June her poetry was published in the York Literary Review. Georgia believes poetry is one of life’s greatest treasures.