i remember waking in my crib screaming
and holding a toy animal on my head
i remember being stung by a bee and my brother
putting a bandage on my finger
over the bee
i remember my sister launching me from her feet
and flying into the brickwork of the fireplace
striking just below my eye
i remember santa’s red suit one christmas eve
when i was supposed to be asleep but snuck out
of my room, catching him by the fireplace
i remember seeing the ghost of my grandmother’s
mother when i was supposed to be taking a nap
and my grandmother shushing me, though she saw her
pale faced in the doorway too
i remember collecting red ants barehanded
with my brother for an ant farm
and being stung again and again
i remember waking up to a bed shaking
beneath me and the guttural sounds of voices
in a room that was too dark to see clearly
but not too dark to see
i remember my mom’s small dog speaking to me
in plain english though i do not remember
what he said
——
Words and Feathers 