Before This Day

Dad is painting windowframes At the top of the house Mom steadies the ladder With a slippered foot My sister cannot bring herself To pour poison on the ants Working their way frantically Up the inside corners of this soon-to-be a home I run through grass that is grown high above my head I am a million miles away I have no memories I have no memories before this day Cup of tea for the plumber Cup of coffee for the builder Brother sister, father mother Each in love with one another Somewhere, a whistling kettle I meet the world and the world is a stinging nettle I run through grass that is grown high above my head I am a million miles away I have no memories I have no memories before this day Mortar bees living in the bricks There may or may not be a snake in the compost heap And the neighbor’s cat is white and quite insane Collarless, aggressive, and unnamed And I have never seen so many sheep! I’ve never seen so many cows! I was a born to a family a little while ago I was born to myself just now I run through grass that is grown high above my head I am a million miles away I have no memories I have no memories before this day Before this day