JUSTINE ELDRED

back

Outside your window you see
a world you’d break the glass just to get to

a world where you could climb the pohutukawa all day
a world where small offences are not judged mightily by your grandmother

a world where she did not remove the light bulb
and close the door with that snarl on her back

a world where you won’t have to sit here with your head on this desk
and your eyes closed for hours because you sinned and she said

a world, let's call it a world, that will take you to Dress-Smart
and buy you something beautiful – because you didn’t ask

yes that would be a world, wouldn’t it

a world that brought your mother back