second | Page 12

Window Shopping

"Through the window" these are all photos of town centres shop windows or high streets. It is now December

The jingle bells are jingling

The streets are white with snow

The happy crowds are mingling

But there's no one that I know

I'm sure that you'll forgive me

If I don't enthuse

I guess I've got the Christmas blues

I've done my window shopping

There's not a store I've missed

But what's the use of stopping

When there's no one on your list

You'll know the way I'm feeling

When you love and you lose

I guess I've got the Christmas blues

I write my shopping-list in rhyme. It doesn’t take me too much time, and always helps me to remember. (I’ve been doing it since last September.) Wholemeal bread low-fat spread strawberry jam dry-cured ham Cheddar cheese frozen peas free-range eggs chicken legs grape jelly pork belly lamb chops lemon drops fillet steak chocolate cake cookie mix seafood sticks tortilla chips salsa dips instant coffee treacle toffee dried sultanas ripe bananas runner beans a bunch of greens new potatoes vine tomatoes and (really urgent) liquid detergent. That’s my shopping-list in verse. Not very good? Could have been worse!