Lesley Boland #2 Held together by character

The house is secured to the slope by threads of spider web and foundations settled in with wood rot. There once was a system to the wallpaper - a nautical feature wall from half a century ago, now merely mismatched and peeling. Disjointed conversation and childish preoccupations sprawl on the carpet while outside the light fades. A baby cries. Critical decisions are made. Someone finds the forgotten jam sandwich on the table and takes a bite. The clock ticks, hanging from the wall, hemmed in by maps on all sides. Our island is half on, half off, a small comma at the edge of the magnificent muddy bay.