Allison McVety
Needle Work
She pierces yarn with needles,
sets aside four inches of garter stitch,
walks into the hall where he’s fallen,
the worse for bitter and the best of a bottle
or rum, his feet still out on the step,
door open to the frivolity of moths.
She puts a shilling in the slot,
lets last night’s supper slow-burn
on the stove again, pulls on her coat,
pauses at the mirror to set her hat,
to slip on gloves, before going to see
the woman who unpicks problems.
Back again she checks his pockets
for the inch of chalk he used to spy,
feels him suck her breath through his teeth,
re-marks the soles of her shoes,
resumes her knitting, picks up the stitch
she’d dropped, waits.
sets aside four inches of garter stitch,
walks into the hall where he’s fallen,
the worse for bitter and the best of a bottle
or rum, his feet still out on the step,
door open to the frivolity of moths.
She puts a shilling in the slot,
lets last night’s supper slow-burn
on the stove again, pulls on her coat,
pauses at the mirror to set her hat,
to slip on gloves, before going to see
the woman who unpicks problems.
Back again she checks his pockets
for the inch of chalk he used to spy,
feels him suck her breath through his teeth,
re-marks the soles of her shoes,
resumes her knitting, picks up the stitch
she’d dropped, waits.
Page(s) 52
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