Issue 4 2010 - Learning and teaching portal - Victoria University

we only loaned him to you
by Kristin Henry
We only loaned him to you.
He was perfect up till then.
He was smart and he was funny,
there was nothing wrong with him,
since before he was born
when we curled our lives around his
to keep him safe.
For every new word he spoke
we made up songs.
We played each of his first steps together
like games.
Like a bunch of galahs I guess
but loved was the only way
he knew himself.
And laugh, he used to laugh.
Eyes full of tricks and spit.
He was a hell of a giggler.
But now he’s quieter.
We gave him to you
and this is what you do.
He’s started to jump at touches,
every day he’s smaller.
He looks surprised
like we lied
when we let him think he was beautiful
to everyone’s eyes.
We gave him to you
and this is what you’ve done.
He’s torn, we cannot find the spot
but we can see his childhood
spilling out.
You’ve made these holes.
We want them fixed.
We gave him to you perfect
and you...
you were supposed to be careful.
Kristin Henry’s previous anthologies include quick packer, slices of wry and others.
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