Stand Straight
my legs ache a little. my back feels
quite comfortable, but she pokes it
and tells me I'm hunching. I try to stand
straight and she tells me "stand straight"
and I try. my body is built to hang over
a keyboard – putting words down
with spaces like tiles on cement.
a hot shower helps – I feel myself loosen
and stretch. the sofa's a problem.
every two weeks we gather up plants
from their shelf-space around
the apartment. they go in the bath
and we shower them, then put them back.
it's less quick than filling a bucket
but washes the dust off and means
that we can rearrange them.
over the next week the leaves
move around – the room seems to tilt
like a boat moored against a light chop
and the lamp throws a shadow
as I read with my legs on the armrest.
my shoulder blades spike
like a tiger walk footsteps,
under a jungle of bush.
Author: DS Maolalai
Photo: Inge Poelman on Unsplash
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