BREAD
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Charles
      Gregory
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      kitchen's
      fungus
      smell
      of
      yeast
     
     
      his
      Grandmother
      shaped
      the
      flesh
     
     
      of
      flour
      and
      water
      into
      loaf
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Imagining
      the
      dead
      |
     
     
      on
      the
      face
      of
      the
      living,
      she
      speaks
      fondly
     
     
      without
      reverence,
      tells
      him
      he
      was
      born
     
     
      with
      his
      father's
      mouth
     
     
      that
      man
      was
      always
      catching
      flies
      she
      says,
     
     
      as
      the
      boy
      slips
      his
      tongue
     
     
      on
      his
      parted
      lips
      in
      recognition
     
     
      you
      have
      your
      mother’s
      eyes,
      she
      says.
     
     
      always
      sleeping,
      always
      half
      mast
     
     
      and
      his
      Grandmother
      clasps
     
     
      her
      hands
      clean,
      vanishes
     
     
      in
      a
      puff
      of
      white
      dust
     
     
      Only
      he
      remains
      .
     
     
      to
      watch
      the
      lump
      rising
      under
      the
      tea
      towel
     
     
      as
      slowly
      as
      the
      hour-hand
     
     
      on
      the
      kitchen
      clock
     
    
   
   
    
     
      And
      that
      night
      the
      second
      rising
     
     
      comes
      in
      his
      dream,
      overflows
      the
      pan,
      grows
     
     
      to
      the
      size
      of
      a
      whale
      he
      does
      not
      fight
     
     
      being
      swallowed
      by