Dads army
In combat trousers
Some long
Some short
They wear the modern camouflage
For parks and play areas
It's a must
The beige and grey and khaki green
Nice modern men blend in
Avoid unnecessary conversations
Mums can't seem to dodge so well
These are the loaded guns
“He's very small isn't he?”
“Does she eat fruit?”
“Oh, an only child”
Shaven heads
Sunglasses
Trainers in winter
Maybe risking open sandals
In summer
But in a neutral colour
Dads keep their mouths closed
Their eyes and ears open
Not at war but always prepared
They don't fall in traps
Mums could learn a lot from their approach
No hearts on sleeves
No nervous wittering
No defensive play
Just cropped heads steady
Resolve firm
No time wasted
We're here to play, kids
So play
* Rachel Fox lives in Montrose in Scotland. She has a book called More about the song (reviewed on IS&T on Sunday 6th July 2008), a busy blog at – http://crowd-pleasers.blogspot.com/ – and a website of the same name – www.crowd-pleasers.net
