{a crass generalisation}

psychologists are white women over forty
with children mostly grown and time to spare
they empathise from converted granny flats in suburban gardens
and they share a solemn respect for everyone
compassion carefully cultivated and packaged by woolworths
they take notes in ballpoint pen on exam pads
and they always care
psychologists are welcoming, unthreatening
they wear wedding rings
but don’t mind if you’re queer
they think of you over a latte later when you’ve left
they’re quite bereft in their self-emptying nests