Inside Tales

Emily's job was to think.
She was the only one of us
who had that to do,
said Emily's
sister,
Lavinia,
on telling
her family's
inside
tales.

Whereas
in my family,
I took on the job
of think
er a
nd everyone else -
Mother
Father
Sister
Brother -
thought too,
think
ing was not
an act
that any one
of us
pronounced
useable.
It just was -
under
neath the bad
air,
fights
and scruffy furniture -
a way of liv
ing
with
the ag
o
ny
of
sel
f.

-Esther Altshul Helfgott


OR

Inside Tales

Emily's job was to think.
She was the only one of us
who had that to do,said Emily's
sister,
Lavinia,
on telling
her family's
inside
tales.

Whereas
in my family,
I took on the job
of thinker
and everyone else -
Mother
Father
Sister
Brother -
thought too,
thinking was not
an act
that any one of us
pronounced useable.
It just was -
underneath
the bad air,
fights
and scruffy furniture -
a way of living
with the agony
of self.

*******
No, I like the first one ...