21 DECEMBER 1985, Page 47

Single footprints

Saturday night outsider looking in through lighted windows couples on sofas, children playing sharing worlds.

Sunday morning, a closed shell; blind windows staring.

Isolation as lepers' at squint-holes.

And Christmas, spiked with holly, tinsel, twittering fairy-lights and mistletoe unkissed under, making parcels with no one's finger on the knot that holds the bow, Christmas is single footprints in the snow.

Phoebe Hesketh