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