Small Songs

by Judy Kaber

Public domain image adapted by Tom Dooley

Small Songs

mother

bib-aproned, hair curled
fresh aired clothes hot steam ironed
demand backed, cornered
outside light spills, bottled cream
summer bursts, cold melon day

father

nail thick swarthiness
back bent under white flour sacks
sweat settled, grim lines
mouth knifed into slit-sliced words
new-finned Chevy shined and shined

jobs

slip strap factory
folding hot sheets, just two days
lines of metal cribs
cradling babies scarred, lost
gene twisted, song-stung then gone

this

rain draped royal fern
land pierced, plotted, turned over
dandelions drift
out the window trees mirror
fine beat of a freckled heart