In dim light
Grandma sits at her table
shaving fat and flesh
from the pig’s skull
swick swick swick
her knife slices
through bristled skin
past cartilage and brain
she’ll press meat into
a jellied loaf.
The body hacksawed in half
cut gristle, bone and blood
lies cold and splayed
in Grandma’s storeroom.
waiting to be severed
snipped and cooked for suppers.
At bedtime Grandma
reaches for my foot
flick flick flick
she tweaks my row of toes
Tom Bumble
Penny Lou
Louie Whistle
Maya Hassa …
Grandma holds my little piggy
waits for me to shriek
Pick-a-dee-dee!
I giggle and lay my head
on feather pillow.
