There is a clutch of former passions

I have half-forgotten – once I could recite

Every breed of cat, large and small varieties

And all the Egyptian gods and goddesses by name

Or longer ago still, I loved watercolour pencils

I show my daughters my old ones, opening the lid

So they can see the row of colours – pink a stub

We dip the red, green and blue leads into water

And I demonstrate the liquid patterns of sapphire

Spreading easily over the expanse of a blank page

Their eyes go wide, and they fight to try first

I sense their fascination beginning

Curiosity transforming into rapturous interest

In watercolour pencils