those last minutes around the fire
after drying the dinner dishes
go quickly I go slowly
inching the door shut
clinging to the helpful light …
ahead the dark passage to bed
a stingy flicker
from the street through
the pebble glass front door
skims three ivory monkeys
sitting cross legged and
arm in arm on the top ledge
of a cabinet midway …
and I reach them gasping
their faces rise before me still
two pairs of clever, sad and
puzzled eyes asking why
so nearly human yet not?
