She grew in the coldest soil, furling
the edges of her roots together, even
now refusing to spread out. She fed
us stomach aches for dinner, my brother
sprouting like a weed. She wrapped us up
warm in fleece with dishpan hands, always
preparing for a storm, sending us out into the world
in little yellow raincoats and watching us
down the garden path from the greenhouse.
cinquefoil
< Previously published in: Pennine Platform Magazine
see also
Divorce for Dummies - Ink, Sweat & Tears
Wake - Foyle Young Poets Commended Anthology 2017
Ledbury - Ledbury Poetry Festival 2018 (Commission)
Millennials & Rare Sightings - PUSH Magazine