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JAC Dec 2017
Your grandfather’s cold cup of coffee.

Breeze on your toes from a hole in the door.

Dust and cobwebs on glass Geisha figurines.

A staircase the creaks twice every second step.

Beads.

Mildew and paper holding hands.

Milk crates with records in them, three.

Sinatra and Woody Guthrie.

Lavender.

Dense wooden chests of cloth, linen frayed.

Threadbare towels.

Woodrose pink.

White duster’s gloves.

Floorboards that whisper epics.

Bookcases that smell of mahogany dreams.

Cardamom.

Brown sugar.

A television older than you and your mother.

Playing cards, missing the six of hearts, neatly labelled.

Another cold cup of coffee.

Lace, white.

Winter sunlight and swirling dust.

China in a locked cupboard.

Skeleton key tied to the handle by a faded ribbon.

Paper, folded, an incomplete crossword in blue pen, lazy scrawl.

An armchair, plaid, brown, yellow, comfortable.

Hand-knitted blanket, stained in the top right corner.

Wine glass.

Sleepy.

Quiet.
JAC Dec 2017
Take off your shoes.
Wool sweater.

Messy hair. Step forward.
Fill your lungs with cold.

Open your throat. Empty your ears.
Check behind you. Nothing. Shiver.

Check once more. Shiver.
Your spine this time. Pulse.

Goosebumps. Back of your arms.
Raised like hyenas. Cackling.

Toes to the edge. Reflection. Shiver.
Look back, look up, look for land, look for green.

Grey. No clouds. Quivering breath.
Exhale. Watch them leave you. Clouds.

Toes to the edge. Down again.
Shiver.

Shiver.
Grey. Shiver.

Reflection. Shiver.
Stop. Shiver.

Reflection. Shiver.
Listen. Shiver.

Toes to the edge.
The edge. Shiver.

Blink. Ripples.
Toes to the edge.

Exhale.
Reflection.

Ripples.
Shiver.

Fog.
Shiver.

Stop.
Stop.

Stop.
Shiver.
JAC Nov 2017
When her slippers don’t make
the sound she knows so well
on the scuffed, yellowed linoleum kitchen.

When the telly tells her
a boy that looks like her grandson
was out breaking windows last night.

When the kettle misses its turn
When there are no car horns
When her boy has not called since Wednesday.

When ice wraps the fading window
When her ears turn the colour of autumn
When she can’t find her glasses on her head.

When weather reporters don’t smile
When Stewart does not come home
When she remembers he will never be home

she worries.
JAC Nov 2017
You have
wasted
your time
on me.
Thank you
for that.
JAC Nov 2017
In a place
where a light
isn't easy to find,
it's wonderful to be
able to see you glow.
JAC Nov 2017
Take off your shoes. Wool sweater. Messy hair. Step forward. Fill your lungs with the cold. Open your throat. Empty ears. Shiver. Check behind you. Nothing. Check once more. Shiver. Your spine this time. Goosebumps. Back of your arms. Raised like hyenas. Toes to the edge. Reflection. Shiver. Look back, look up, look for land, look for green. Grey. No clouds. Cloud. Shake breath. Exhale. Watch it leave you. Toes to the edge. Down again. Shiver. Shiver. Grey. Shiver. Reflection. Shiver. Stop. Shiver. Reflection. Shiver. Stop. Shiver. Toes to the edge. The edge. Shiver. Blink. Ripples. Toes to the edge. Exhale. Reflection. Stop. Stop. Stop.
JAC Nov 2017
Meet me
at the bottom
of the world
and we'll
climb up
together.
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