to build a proper mansion, fit for kin:
high ceilings, first, to cater space for God;
high windows, too, to let him out and in,
or flit above our heads, a rafter thought.

next, cabinets to file the deaths and taxes,
closets stocked with skeletons and schemes,
ten drawers for the detritus of exes,
one basement, for the burial of dreams.

then line the walls with somewheres and someones
you used to be, then scour the empty floor
until it’s good enough. and when you’re done,
back up the rental truck right to the door

and carry in your father, limb by limb,
read his instructions, and assemble him.

Previously published in Sonnets from the Singlish (Math Paper Press).

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Joshua Ip is an 8-bit cartoon hero. His secret headquarters is in Singapore, Singapore. Clues to his existence can be found in Sonnets from the Singlish, with Math Paper Press.

Object(s) to bring back to life: “Michael Jackson. To make a change. (For once in my life.)”