27th October 2025

 

no neutral toilets

I'm directed to the Gent's

gym rats

© Rachel Green October 2025

Still Cringy after all these Years

I still cringe at an early memory

of the fetching down of the Christmas box

from its long term storage, with the tinsel tree,

in the dry and dusty, fly encrusted loft.

The house was cold; we had an open fire

in the living room, with an old iron place

with an oven below and another one higher

for here was a kitchen when this was their place.

I pull open the box (an old Walker's Crisps)

revealing the paper on top of the tresses

and though I can't read yet, I chuck out the list

that my mother has saved of the family's addresses.

  Her open-mouther horror at the flame flaring bright

  still haunts me today when I wake in the night.

© Rachel Green October 2025