old woman at the door
collecting for
hungry ghosts
the shroud
she wears
for shawl
_________
black limo on a wet day
passing
the empty florist
colours
deepening
on stone
___________
christmas eve…
the presents wrapped
a cup of camomile tea
anonymous call
your eyes
avoiding mine
__________
a passing phase…
the drawers full
of lingerie
he orders
by phone
asking for black lace
__________
tiara in a pawn shop
the missing ticket
with the sacked companion
autumn dusk
she sits in a ballgown
fraying at the hem
_________
the hush in a library
a fly
on the woman’s nose
to sneeze
or not
to sneeze
_________
gemstone on her fat finger
the colour of
dark ocean
her face
in the obituary column
lost at sea
_________
4 pm
a cuckoo clock
bringing forest into afternoon
the crumbs i leave
sitting on
their own shadows
________
missing child on a sunday morning
the priest
finds a clean frock to visit in
shadowed path
the broken doll
no one sees
_________
another rainbow
this one is quiet
for the hospice
the face
at the window
already not there
© 2002 by ai li
Larry Kimmel website 