Breakfast

 

Mother prepares breakfast before dawn the morning chorus rises she hisses goes to the garden and shouts to the birds to SHUT UP the dog barks and so does the rest of the neighbourhood mother wails we run embrace drag mother wails wails wails

n

No one else matters in her world we do not exist

diner

We sit down for diner our mother prays raising her voice father stares at the clock we don't dare to move the hours come and go we fall asleep from time to time mother comes around slapping fast she prays and prays our father stares at the clock

Water

 

We look around the house: new sterile naked the lights on the trees play with the wind their shadows welcoming our steps at the stairs a cup full of water
We listen a fleeting moth visits we follow her path mother wades through the packets we weep in silence

S

1. Smoke sunrise penance those were her last words

Singing

I like I like it like that come here if you think you know what I need

our sister sings around the house our Mother begs her to stop our sister keeps on and on Mother snaps slaps our sister she keeps singing and singing slap sing slap sing slap sing slap sing slap sing mouth dribbling red song slap song slap takes a knife
There is no more singing.

M

 

Sitting down to tea and cake in our new country, not sure, never sure

Memories come along the leaves fallen on the paths the sun pale and unbecoming

we try and never quiet leave