RHEA MANLEY
In the Heavy Rain
Uncle Norman called his wife
he wouldn’t be home for supper
assuming shenanigans,
she was vexed
he said
it wasn’t anything
like that, Jen
he was in a spot of bother
car floating, filling
he really had to run,
could she
call a wrecker?
Get out!
she shouted
he got on top
lost the car and by the dump
robber samaritans
pulled him out
but how on earth
everyone asked
ever sanguine he’d respond
In life, you go with the flow
Chary
Patricia catch her fraid when she saw the flash
then heard the clap, shampoo in her palm
she knew water on a body could carry a charge
had seen how careless coach’s sessions could
end with the chaos of an ambulance
but she was late, she took the chance
When was some too much or another not happening lately?
Shango vex?
It had started with the fracas in May
— giving her a bligh to text
that sweet mouth man — did you feel that? are you okay?
I bring the earthquake, he fronted
later confessing they send him
shaking in the street.
but then there was Beryl
when the coconut tree, outgrowing
the house’s shade passing the roof grasping
light became an urgent obstacle
to manage ‘til her body said stop
and she finally appreciated her mother’s
hurricane naps
Chaperone
once upon a time i knew
only one girl with a Ventolin pump.
how many times we going bun
Riverton
scheming for contracts
to out tyre tower infernos
sending hordes
of students to nights lost
in ER waiting rooms
how many
BottlesTamponapplicatorsCarseats
did we find at the beach clean-up that day?
the tally-list came late,
and bwoy
i was busy trying
to keep track
of that own-way pickney running off
in a private car on her own agenda
before we piled the 10 bags of whatever
up to be sent to — not sure.
