She fed you
cleaned the dirt from your feet
ignored the voice too high to be Dale’s
coming from the garage.
Mealtime sorrys were spooned
on your plate.
Upstairs her shrine of dolls
porcelain & curled
stand watch over the railing
each petticoated dress pressed
perfect
each quilt draping heavy
on its wooden ladder.
Her vanity holds a mirror
to magnify every pore
show every line & hair
she sits for hours
plucking.

Harley Anastasia Chapman

 

Harley Anastasia Chapman is a poet and artist working toward her MFA at Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Euphemism, Storyscape Journal and Columbia Poetry Review.

© 2019