An exercise in storytelling—
five people in a kitchen
describe the same incident
each one of them is a liar,
each one would not perjure themselves in a court of law.
This is a respectable family
unmarried daughter,
notices from above how bald her father has become.
He leaves the room muttering about creosoting
the gate as she enters.
Married daughter eats her toast
are video games bad for her son?
The little boy is with his grandmother at the window
they watch an ancient cat turn predator under the bird table.
You watch them all
as the radio announces
an air crash,
a pop star’s untimely death,
an assassination attempt.
They will not remember
where they were when they heard the news
