trout

jeez

Emma Barnes

so today mother we are going to
go out in the street for a walk so
that you can show your opaque
flesh toned legs to the sun for a
brief moment you are old now and
I am younger and because I am this
I get you in my house objecting and
correcting and often bursting into
tears this day mother will involve a
light breeze and early spring sun
it will be us walking with a clink clink
clink past the butchers that you would
never go into and over the bridge in-
to the city where at night father sleeps
like a homeless man in the street so
slight he would be blown away by
you dear here we are now at the shop
where you will buy linen for hand-ker-
chiefs and I will buy buttons and thread
to keep me together day to day wear-
ing out in the elbows and seat I will
be an old woman without blood or
juice to keep me alive instead I will
float here like a tissue paper kite and
I will not rip in the wind I will just
look like I might when we are home
I will turn the lights off and sleep