looking up as
her belly
crumpled the paper

his eye catches an “inny”
shamelessly exposed

a little cyclops
staring at him accusingly

so standing
gesturing
with the polished urbanity
of those subterranean travellers

then perplexed and in discomfort
sits again

next time
better he lets the pregnant stand
than risk the fishwife tongue
and tears
of a fat girl