Alice

to rise with the sun
her sleep-hot feet
must hit the floor
kicking for slippers

her sleep-hot feet
dry as old oranges
kicking for slippers
full of cold stiffness

dry as old oranges
after all these years
full of cold stiffness
as she lights a smoke

after all these years
still thinking of Mac
as she lights a smoke
awake on her tongue

still thinking of Mac
in clouds of her breath
awake on her tongue
outside the screen door

in clouds of her breath
she feeds winter birds
outside the screen door
catches seed in her hand

she feeds winter birds
remembering hunger
catches seed in her hand
to crack with her teeth

remembering hunger
their singing cuts winter
to crack with her teeth
to rise with the sun

NB: a (non-rhymed) pantoum for my great grandmother, who lived in Dauphin, Manitoba.