you know you could write a poem a week from any item in the quirky news column of illinois times take that funeral home burglar when the cops came he lay on a viewing room table played possum but they saw him breathing now when we were little and wanted mom to to think we were asleep we’d lie still take shallow soundless breaths that’s how she’d catch us because of not breathing we learned to inhale deeply plenty of chest motion oh how asleep we seemed I’m surprised that thief hadn’t perfected the tricks of breathing slash not breathing before he was three

copyright 2009 Jacqueline Jackson