It's Still Life

Running Parallel

Mum has a dark edge,
like sun in and out
of clouds, but every story
has a bit of meat.

I’d know hers anywhere.
In one or two of my lives,
she’s been my root –
roots run parallel.

I look like Mum.
Mum looks like her father.
Same eyes. Jaw.
Same frown.

Mum would say “snap” to that.
She sits
at the head of the table –
she sits

in Dad’s chair now.
It creaks.
It creaks for me, too.
It was quiet when he was alive

for Twiglet #47 “It Was Quiet” and dVerse’s Quadrille #43 “creak”. This is a double Quadrille with 88 words.