As a

Gurgling, burbling, growing baby,

I constantly fed

On a plastic bottle

And slept with a plastic dummy

In my plastic cot

I nibbled on plastic rings,

Crawled in plastic diapers

And drooled on plastic toys,

Before I was weaned

In plastic bowls

Aided by plastic spoons

In a plastic, easy to clean, chair

I soon outgrew my plastic lego and dolls,

To kick around plastic footballs,

And slouch on the couch

Glued to the glossy TV, PS2 and Xbox,

When I wasn’t studying and surfing on my plastic laptop

Successful admission into university

Led to a life of never-ending study,

Powered by plastic-sealed, ready meals

And countless, bottled energy drinks

The years flew by and before I knew it,

I’d graduated to a high-flying career

Of smart plastic suits and posh plastic shoes,

Affording endless plastic bags of designer shopping,

A whole new level of synthetic, luxury living

And now, I’ve finally retired.

I’ve shifted from city to seaside

To relax in plastic shades and shorts,

Hydrate on bottled water

And enjoy plastic water sports.

And I guess in old age,

I’ll survive on plastic-packaged pills

And shuffle around with a plastic stick,

Before I remove my plastic teeth,

And plastic bifocals

To drift off

To eternal sleep.

Fatema Valji