Ming and Sons
Ming had short sons
three were five foot
and two were five foot one
the boys were kind natured
and tended the family mat
polished floors and windows
and loaded the shirts and garments
into the washer
through the circle in the front
and mother worked so hard
harder than a day would last
and Ming's parents living with them
just two more stops
at the table, the lean table
where you kept things to yourself
on the roof, on some bricks
mother grew tulips
various colours
she liked to sit up there
and just have this
and the flowers
red, orange, pink, blue
leaned into the brown horizon
brightening what part of it for her
that they could.
© 2004 Robert Weir
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