dishonest angels
she braided truth
the way she braided my hair
delicate hands
three strands
devotion, caution, deceit
you never age in a mother’s eye
you truly age when a mother dies
heaven is underneath mothers’ feet
she did heavy work
tongue covered in callus
moves burdens around
she leaves her tongue out
in her sleep it needs to breathe
chew what’s true even if it’s bitter
lock it behind a smile, fasten tenderly
lie like a mother
she dressed life with a sweater
kept it warm, carefully
weaved excuses for others,
bubble-gum pink fabric
our favorite color
truth doesn’t help kids grow
shield reality away
they’re too young to know
she censored accusations
if he errs, give your brother 70 excuses
she made the world innocent
until white lies grew
on her back as feathers
motherhood changes bodies
I grew whole new organs
wings sprouted off my back
she became more angelic
the more she lied
the more she hid
the bigger her wings grew
the heavier they weighed on her back
father was very nurturing, he planted
a garden of tobacco inside his lungs
it kept growing inside him
she put nicotine patches on him
he needed more than first aid plasters
every time we drank Zamzam
we prayed he’d quit smoking
the first prayer we learned
he smoked because he wanted
to kiss air, thoroughly
love can be compulsive
cigarettes are enslaving sweethearts
they break hearts
attacks are common among smokers
wrote a doctor in a report card
attached to his death certificate
he wanted to stay at home
close to you, father don’t go
you said every time he traveled for work
jobs are full time trails of bits of bread
they lead to enticing houses
something like a cottage built of gingerbread and cakes
lures with the promise of soft beds, delicious food, and a hot bath
the next morning, the witch throws Hansel into a cage and enslaves Gretel
women bring us to life, men bury us
Life is a dream, the only truth is
all mother juggle with falsehood