I see you in the subtle scratches
in my arms after a day of working with tools,
the lumps of chocolate digestive
at the bottom of my thick breakfast tea
resting on a pile of bricks.
A sledgehammer feels right in my hands
because of you. I feel safe
breaking things into a million pieces,
watching my wife bake a broccoli quiche
through the kitchen window.

Carl Burkitt 2025