photos on the mantel

so you don’t let it slip

at the top of the stairs

knees turned inward

under the white light

flatware on the table

arranged like families

the first guests arrive

moonlight coming in

he wears a half-Windsor

Pears Transparent Soap

long leather belt strap

deep inside the house

her wide skirts twirling

a cheerful movie reel

lean against the frame

rosemary roast chicken

taut as plucked strings

talk turns to break-ins

low-cost fire insurance

National Geographic

two weeks to get away

skeleton-thin fencing

behind the colour line

cold hard flint of hate

a light turned inward

behind closed doors

mother’s face a flower

red yellow and blue