Instead

Today is the day I’m not going to do the things that need doing:
the dirty dishes piling up in the sink,
the laundry that needs putting in the dryer,
the phone calls to arrange the dentist,
to cancel the swimming lesson.

Instead I will buy the gold summer sandals I don’t really need,
the pretty flower pot and the garden plant
that will yield pink flowers in the spring.

Instead I will sit in the hushed bookshop café
that breathes knowledge and creativity,
and have a latte and croissant.

Instead I will walk the long way home
by the industrial river,
and gaze at the water and the sky
blessing the warehouses and factories.

Instead I will sit here for at least two hours,
enter in silence, perhaps find peace and simplicity,
maybe write,
and feel the sun coming through the window.

Today is the day I’m not going to do the things that need doing.