when we were little

Annie Liu POETRY

When we were little the most bitter taste we knew was the black coffee mommy and daddy drank at the kitchen table. Every morning the steam fogged up daddy’s glasses, so we could not see the red in his eyes before the caffeine brought him back to life. Every morning the colour stained mommy’s teeth. Distracting us from the strain in her face when she stretched her mouth to smile. Every morning we peered over our placemats and wondered when we could be like mommy and daddy Knowing. Responsible. Slouched over their coffee cup. Many mornings we plucked white hairs and flower petals bare stocked up eye drops, replenished tears massaged out cheekbones, practiced grins we laid out torn envelopes like the lilies over mom and dad at the kitchen table steaming over our eyes staining our teeth we savoured the sweetness of black coffee every morning

A Poem About All The Times

I’ve tried to write a love poem

There’s nothing I can say about love

That has not already been said Before me, a thousand “greats”

Before me, a million dead.

So, what use of me to say a rhyme Special just for you?

When before I breathed, countless times

Others did my dues.

But here I’ll try, although in vain

To have my love poem fill

With more than twice the bumbling

And less than half the skill

Love is - ... Love feels-... Love-...

Shit.