Reading Room
Rosary
2026Earth rotating like a beadThe bead orbiting a silk cordWho is the mantra for—Lakshmi or me?My feet have worn groovesaround the housewalking the stationsUp for schoolOut the door7:05Pick you up2:30Snack timeYour bedtime songs havedriftedI haven’t sung them in yearsBut I’m sure I never stoppedLike stepping outside at nightthen realizing the sun is in my eyesthough I barely noticed it riseMy nose against Monet’s pondThe Grand Canyonthrough an empty paper towel tubeSmooth in my handOver and overDense little footFitting my palmEyelashes grazingyour round cheekswhile you sleepAsking me why108 timesHug, kissCut the grapes in halfStrange to be spinningand never feel itStrange how still we areWith matched velocityI’ve looked at the same mapleEvery day for ten yearsNever seen it growYet she towers nowDrops her gold leavesExtravagantlyWho is the mantra for—Lakshmi or me?You were a baby when we moved inNow my chin barely rests on your headWho turns the EarthAbsently in her palm?Devoted, distracted—Is she keeping count?If I hold the peach too longIt bruisesSo I biteJuice down my chinSmall, fuzzy planetYour duckling headI kiss you mid-orbitOnceMoreThan before