Neoplasia

from where i sit
i see the reflection
of a window framing trees
painted onto the glazed tiles
of the floor

the sky is an iridescent blue
in this frame
from where i sit
clouds peek in over edges

i look away
then out
and back

and the clouds on the floor
eat their way into the blue
almost naturally.

you never notice these things.

***

when faced with death
my father turns scientifically stoic
his words are lost under mutters disguised
hepatoblastomanodularhyperplasiainflammation
or what he said
he turns his back and
chemoswellwaterretentiontherapying
he doesn’t because he can’t
look

outside the telly blathers on
in forced monochrome
(the tv signals are bad in this area):
a malaysian drama of
a man, has cancer, he dies
and everyone is sad and guilty and-
over-acting.

***

when faced with death
we sit in awkward silence

inside then out.

we eat when we’re given
given,
we eat

because we
hardly notice these things.

Advertisement