- Vol. 08
- Chapter 12
A Game of Keys
Grandma kept her secrets locked
up in a heart-shaped box,
black heart, padded with red velvet.
Imagine the darkest,
night you’ve ever known,
lined with firelight.
If you could get inside, you’d find
a small inglenook. A rocking chair.
The blue atrium filled with love letters.
And a hundred gold watches
all stopped at seven o’clock.
Deep inside the central chamber -
a beautiful young woman,
dressed in pink tulle,
smiling, dancing,
whether she wanted to or not.
The hearts in my family
are the stuff of legend.
A Game of Keys
Stones with swords stuck in them.
Mostly they are locked chests
filled with a mess of hard lessons,
maps, secrets, deadly weapons.
Some are locked forever,
thrown into the river.
Some give the keys away
for safe-keeping.
I’ve hung mine on the electric fence
by the oak tree,
between the sinking sand
and the cemetery.