If we walk past you by the oak building
then we are on time for school.
If we walk past you by the dragon dog
then we are late for school.
If we walk past you by the shadow mountain
then we are early for school.
If we walk past you by the crocodile lake
then you are late for work.
If we don’t walk past you at all
then you have died
and we are lost
and my mouth will try
to explain to my son that the one adult who smiles
every morning will no longer smile at us.
Or maybe it’s just a Saturday.

Carl Burkitt 2025