


Illustration's
Jeannie Baker’s A Walk Through Hyde Park
The man with the sandwich board that says
‘Psychiatry is an evil it must be banned’is softly spoken and carries
a brown leather satchel. It only contains
two things: a cheese sandwich and a picture of his wife.
A dog cocks his leg, claiming the park
while his owners lie a few feet away.
They look at each other, his head
in her lap while she sits up. She is wearing
an orange dress. Their conversation is serious.
A young woman in a floral-printed skirt
considers her sketch pad. A handbag
flops beside her, forgotten. The pencil reprises
its movement, a battle for clarity
between dark grey and white.
The man standing nearby
is wearing a suit that is two sizes too big.
A paper fan is open just below
his toupeed head. A black, white and red
checked shopping bag dangles from his left arm.
He is only a few steps from the young woman.
Look again.
She is sketching him, his insouciant smile, his steady hands.