Eight
Ball
People liked him better
unborn
it went rapidly downhill
once his head crowned
first breath drawn
a roar of disbelief
his umbrage at the whole shemozzle
filled the room
before the sun could rise again
in came the adroit eyes - the grandparents
uncles aunts the cousins
sniffing him
like rodents for where to
lay the blame
long stranglers’ fingers and
Poppa’s cleft hard chin
ears
- he had one of each
the
pixie in him
smiling aunts adoring
passing him about
almost leaking a little milk each
in
anticipation of their day abed
he’s
got that freak ear
misery
guts can’t you hold your tongue for one minute
no, the answer, no
some there are where misery delights them
“you can say anything you want to babies
just as long as you say it with a smile”
and matron, passing, seen it all before
trips, a shiver in her step.
this is wonderful, Kerri!
ReplyDeleteThanks Efi, I have been off my game a bit of late and I sat harder to the tasks of edit the last few days. I let it sing!
Deleteshemozzle ... certainly the first time I read this word in a poem and it made my day!!
ReplyDeleteHappy to oblige - it is the slippery slope I suspect Beatrice!
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