Forget your dictators,

the tyrants,

stern judges with white wigs

upholding

ruthless laws,

for there is no greater power

than the mother

who insists

on ironing their teenage

son’s jeans

before they leave the house

on a date,

whilst he stands

in his underwear,

embarrassed

and hopping from foot to foot,

his vulnerability in front of authority

on show.

Ian D. Hall 2021