BY K. BRADLEY
Copyright is held by the author.
She peers through marble lenses
to the single place setting
jade green leaves twist against silver lined bone china
on hand crocheted lace from busy nimble fingers long ago
A place for Don who’d kissed her nightly with soft lips and a feather dusted moustache
And each day rose to set her tea
And gently add a drop of milk with factory scorched hands
A place for Ann who’d wrapped her lanky arms around her baby sister and tossed her to the heavens
so she could fly
And all her life she knew Sis had her back
A place for Lee whose chubby dimpled hands had grasped her skirt
And made her life have purpose
‘Til the seething veil concealed his heart and left his veins forever punctured
She adjusts the placing of her polished silver fork
and sits to gaze at photo frames
Four biscuits on the silver plate
She tastes the first as sugar melts to sooth this longest day
When the calico cat stretches and leaps to join her on the next chair
***
K. Bradley (formerly Kathi Nidd)’s mystery novel, “Snowdrifts” debuted in 2016 and she is currently working toward the publication of two additional mystery thrillers set in the same fictional city.
Her poetry has appeared in publications by The Poetry Institute of Canada, Polar Expressions Publishing, Haunted Waters Press and Quills Magazine. As the creator of “Fuzzball’s Christmas Eve Adventure” Bradley engages adults and children alike with 100% of the profit to animal shelters. Most recently her works were included in short story publications by the Kanata Fiction Circle.
With a career in healthcare informatics, Bradley pulls from the human side of medicine to provide a unique lens into strong and realistic characters. She grew up and continues to reside in Ottawa alongside her loving spouse, a spirited mini schnauzer, and a pensive pug.
Read more at www.writingspot.ca or contact Kathi at askthewritingspot@gmail.ca.
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