Learned behavior

[alonso ramoran]

She stood in front of the pram 
repeatedly smacking Not sure what's smacking here.
into an unseen cry. I'd split the stanza right here, just for form. Id also maybe bring up "into" for the isolation of "an unseen cry"
Greasy hair and dirty clothes This sentence structure feels odd going into the next line. Maybe a comma right here?
her body moved in a way 
that hinted at issues I'd get a lot more specific in this line and the one above.
and sheltered housing.

No eye contact or opinion,
he was somewhere else
shrinking into the shopping center,
watching the automatic doors
in crisis. I like this stanza. It has a nightmarish quality to it.

I caught her hand So at this point there's a she, he, and I. I'm still trying to figure out the situation at this point in the poem.
holding on at the wrist,
she came back from behind her eyes, I like this line
a sail boat emerging from a storm. This is almost cliche. 

Its nappy was full
clothes covered in sick,
how could I explain what a child needs
to a mother that needed the same? 

Hi Keith. I'd give the title more work, I feel like it needs more hinting at the poem itself. In spite of all my critiques, I do think you have a solid start here.

 
Upon rereading this a few times, I think this is about a person caring for the child of this girl who was once in an abusive relationship or came from an abusive home?
I don't quite get the mall metaphor,if so.

Best, Alex.