urquhart war

Grandmother has the devil
in her
big as a woodchuck
rationing has been
imposed
so she
rushes to
the dominion store
to buy up all the sugar
before the hoarders
get it
and there will be sweet tea
on afternoons
set aside for the knitting
of regulation dunkirk socks
knit one pearl
two
sweet tea and gasoline
for each of three hearses
business continues as usual
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡good teeth
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡blue suspenders
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡regulation dunkirk socks
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡ fingers on left hand
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡missing
Source: Urquhart, Jane. False Shuffles. Victoria: Press Porcépic, 1982. Section entitled The Undertaker’s Bride.
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