Snapshot in Africa

Snapshot in Africa

 

 

Her old black thumb

closed over the photo

covered their chubby pink cheeks

— they’d laughed and laughed when I snapped it –

she never looked at them

no interest in them

 

Too many children tugged at her skirts

needing food needing clothes needing love needing

 

Her finger rested on Helen’s face

Your daughter? 

Ah, she said, I had nine, she said

but now

only one

 

I tucked her pain into my purse

with my own

and dumb

I held her hand

Tateni, Pretoria, South Africa