Enjoy! said the delivery man,
handing me my portion of chips.
You too! I replied,
closing my door and melting
red into the flat’s welcome mat.
A part of my brain meant it though.
I hoped he got back on his moped
and smiled to the tip tap of rain
across his brightly coloured helmet
and didn’t explode a thousand lives
with a wrong turn.

© Carl Burkitt 2020