everyone
just everyone there could possibly be
on every kind of chair there possibly was (if they were lucky)
or perched on the arm (if not)
or squeezed in a gap between feet on the floor
in a circle
a laughing great circle of legs and Grandmas
arms and Uncles
sisters and cushions
cousins and brothers
and Dad
my Dad
calmly doling them out one by one
the cards
(what were they for, the cards?)
in a madcap Christmas game
betting pennies
big brown pennies
and thrupenny bits
Uncle Bill flushed and winning
Auntie Josie jumping out of her seat and waving
in all my life
I’d never seen so much in all my life
© 2003 Theresa Eynon