But I do, and I let it brew
until it gets to the point you might call it Chewy.
I use a toothpick when I eat popcorn now
because my gums have started to recede
and kernels have more to hold on to these days.
I walk around shops with my hands
behind my back, trim my ear hairs,
want the entire front of my house
to be draped in multicoloured Christmas lights,
watch my son put a silver bauble on the tree
and count the summers we have left.

Carl Burkitt 2023