Miniature Grinch fingers
claw their way into toes,
under nails, deep beneath
the skin of a morning’s promise.
They say don’t sweat
the small stuff. They say
little things make a big difference.
I had a nightmare that I was
reincarnated as a hoover
in December. I woke up
with a throat
like an inside out hedgehog
and an urge to be useful.

Carl Burkitt 2024