i’m in the bath before
it is drawn the waterline rising
to my ankles and only yet
lukewarm. when we
were kids she’d
bathe us in just two
inches, a wan bar of soap
passed between
our chins, a plastic cup poured
over our heads down our backs
we curled like two
seed pearls
strung together
shivering, skin
aglow.

tonight i go and i…