Marian’s Box

Crinkly, sun- aged in hump-backed flooded fields
Silent, as folded forgotten brown paper in dark draws
Weathered olive brown behind a lone caribou’s tail
Year after year, shedding brown babes at every furrow
Of promised rice shoots, failed, to a praying sun


A surprise box ! a daughter’s offering
In a quagmire of existence, of logos unknown to eyes
That cannot read, only to breed more mouths open
‘’Spaghetti Mama , ice cold Franchetti
Corn flakes and Spam to bake ... take !
Dried milk to boil, some cooking oil, Mama ‘’ 


Sweating now, behind the swishing ox
She dreams of another Christmas box
Of strange tastes and memories of children
Gone with kissed promises never to be fulfilled



Harry Mills
Boracay, Philippines, 6th January 2013
From : Departure Lounge