Shorts

1.

A yellowing

dry leaf

burning amber in the mud.

2.

A passed down book

with pages as soft

as grandma's palms.

3.

Whenever around people

she curled her toes inward

like little tortoise heads.

4.

The old rag picker

Scraping off a slab of gold

Under the streetlight.

5.

The bruised fingertips

Of the church pianist

Changed each note a little.

6.

Mum’s scorched hands

Covered in white flour.

Dinner time.

7.

Corners of her sad smile

Smeared on my hand

As I go through mother’s

Charcoal sketches.