Elsie and Shopping 1948.

a young woman goes shopping trying to mak ends meet.

The shops were busy,

crowded with woman like herself

trying to make the money 

go as far as they could. 

The baby in the pram

was asleep, no noise

except the few snuffles.

Eddie had been in a bad mood

and they rowed right until 

the moment he left for work.

The old girl in front of her

moaned at the prices,

was slow to choose, made

curses and gave her evil looks.

She said nothing; she wasn't

used to people like this,

she came from a differnt 

part of London;

her mother would not put up

with behaviour, being 

a landlord's daughter,

she would have clamped 

the old girl down.

She hoped Eddie

was in a better mood

when he got home from work,

someplace in the city.

The old girl took her wares,

muttering under her breath

giving Elsie evil stares.