Eleven strips of tape Fragile, twice, in pen Newsprint Fish prices, TV page Home, folded small Red one, curtain rail Words run backwards in it My whole room pours into one red drop the lamp, the bed, a thumb, a face who's that waving, wrong way up? Christmas balls on a curtain rail (balls) Little rooms, all upside down Every street I left, still lit Glass and glow Christmas balls I flatten Tuesday's fish prices across my knee read the funeral notices like a stranger would a wedding band advert, a number I almost know one ball came cracked, sealed with a drip of candle wax Mama's thumbprint is pressed in the wax and mine fits it I lift the sealed one level with my face a bead of amber sits across my mouth who's holding who, wrong way up? Silver ball, a hairline split Sealed with a bead of candle wax Cracked, and it still holds the room Crack and glow Christmas balls I hold the newsprint up to the red and the backwards print turns round Tuesday's fish prices read right only in here Plug in Seven small bulbs Red, then gold, then all of it the rail lights up one Christmas ball at a time I lift my hand to the glass and a small one lifts back Right way up, right way round Every headline reads like home Small as a thumb, and mine HOME and glow glass and glow Christmas balls, Christmas balls Christmas balls glass and glow
