Every morning she searched the real estate sites and apps
Signed up to view any house in her pitiful weekly budge
Sipped at the bag-tea in the only cup she owned,
petted her dog, fed him the pellets he ate in protest,

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear

ever third day, was her accepted practice on having a shower
breakfast if she remembered, she and dog got into the old car
off to the first open rental, she looked at every available studio,
home, stable, no bedrooms, one or two, even three,

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear

she looked at new subsidized rental homes, renovated, fibro, wood,
bricks, gardens, courtyards, she had to think of her dog, she looked
from midland to Mandurah from the coast to the forested mountains
York, Mount Barker, Albany, Narrogin, Carnamagh

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear

when the petrol ran out she said to Bear, sorry meat tomorrow night
She pushed on, kept registering through apps, applying with all her documents,
Collected during the early days of searching, birth certificate, passport,
reference, rental, work, personal, Bears rego ‘n microchip numbers, name, age, gender

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear

She was invited by colleagues to play a set at the State Library,
She had to say no, she couldn’t, she just couldn’t, no energy, no motivation.
No money coming in, no money, no career, no work.
Day after day, in the car, driving from house to studio, to house

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear

She had no money for petrol. Phoned the State Government’s housing hot line
They gave her numbers to phone, don’t forget Fremantle Shared Housing Facebook page
They said joyfully, round and round, St Patricks, No sorry we have no housing available,
Try Anglicare, or the refuges, no I’ve got a dog she said, they won’t take me.

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear

round and round she went, back to Salvation Army, sorry we haven’t got
any accommodation, sorry, try another number, and another, and another.
Her car was the only place she felt safe and secure now, she didn’t have
To pay rent any more, just find a toilet every morning, and Bear was eating meat.

it’s only for breakfast she promised,
we’ll have meat for dinner, she hugged her bear