Play

Outside Hamley's toy store
there's a man standing on a box
in a black hat and paisley scarf
like Axl Rose's bandana,
a snakeskin effect waistcoat,
and a tiny plastic guitar
that he's pretend playing
along to "Hey There Delilah".
Beside him, a bearded man
like a heavy metal drummer
or an ex-convict blows
through a pink plastic hoop
making clouds of bubbles
that kids in England shirts
kick around the pavement
or try to grab for like sweets.
Across the road chubby men
exit the Ferrari store all red,
in baseball caps, stallion sweaters,
tailed by bored-dead wives.

This is Regent Street,
windows and baskets of flowers,
and the happiness of fat women
leading their pretty children
in and out the up-market.
The toy store still sounds
like whirring racing cars,
plastic helicopters, fake guitars.
A bus passes with a collosal
poster of Shrek, his latest.
A man with a cappucino,
in a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt
plays with his touchscreen.
This is a child's universe.