the boy misses breakfast
but makes sure to tea and sandwich Granny
he spic and span’s the bathroom
and leaves water with her tablets
he polishes the silver tea set
and thinks fleetingly of a biscuit but lets it go
borrowed bicycle wheels pat the acne tarmac
It astounds me how his patching solution only ever runs low
the two chocolate man swings a five rand
to the guard in a shipping container
the guard who leaps like a gazelle over pink patches of weed
every single shin-cracking morning
Luxury is a beast
a beast he relieves with apricot jam and firepit bread
he considers the merits of places he’s heard of
places they reckon won’t threaten to frighten the spaces from his pores
you’d never know he hides evidence of fear and longing
evidence of thorn-tears and purging
he reminds himself of the laughing dove rescue
accepting of the leavings of a living unsalvageable
he reminds himself of a burning bush
and the book he’ll pen one-day
titled Courage-On-A-Tight-Rope
Bernadette Richards is from Cape Town. She is inspired by diverse forms of art and believes that creativity is one of the best forms of therapy.