Julia Notaro

Dear relatives who voted Leave.

Don’t send cards.

Don’t buy presents.

Don’t invite us to dinner.

Don’t wish us Merry Christmas

or a Happy New Year.

We will not be sitting around the table

while you stuff your face with turkey, roast potatoes

and all the other trappings of a ‘proper’ British dinner.

 

I’m not prejudiced, you said.

I just don’t want any more of them coming here.

I didn’t mean your children.

Don’t let this come between us at Christmas, you pleaded.

It’s just politics.

 

Yes, you are right.

It is politics.

And yours makes me heave.

So I have cancelled Christmas with you.

Instead, I will stay home

with my children

and with trays on our laps,

we shall watch a subtitled film,

eat crispy duck with pancakes

and forget all about people like you

who have hurt people like us,

so much.