–on a video call from Ida, Dec 14, 2018

your feet overhang
the plastic hamper
which is temporarily
a boat that holds you
in a pile of folded laundry
floating on an ocean of love.

Your Mother says, “Ida, your toes are over the edge”,
in a motherly instructive way,
emphasizing key vocabulary words,
in an attempt to get your attention back
to talking to your yeh yeh,
who is on the other end of the iphone.

I’m rowing, you say, as you air paddle.

I blurt out to Krissy, there’s a saying,
if you aren’t living on the edge,
you’re taking up too much room.

Your Mom laughs,
not having heard that one before.
and you say, that’s me,
the girl on the edge.

The girl on the edge, indeed —

leading, bleeding, razor sharp.