My apple

By DS Maolalai

--

for Chrysty and Sam

next month her mother

is coming to Dublin again.

I've had some instruction

to tidy things up at my place.

vacuum the carpets

and mop out the toilet,

throw out our aging

potatoes. I’ll do it,

eventually, honestly. I’m

on the sofa, paying the dog

some attention. she's happy, and I

am now eating an apple,

looking out the window

toward a view

which shows nothing

with birds. last time she saw us

was over a year now – my friends say

she must be expecting things. I say

then she'll be disappointed

and go on eating my apple.

they're expecting it too;

want the piss-up on the stag

and to see me make a speech.

I'm bad at speeches – they know.

that's why

they enjoy them. and I do

love her,

but not that much

yet – when I do

I'll make the speech

no problem. I'll clean the toilet too,

every day when I finish my apple.