prelude

What was your earliest memory in this household?

Sure, it was rebel by four and living, serving up tea by five years old, but what was your earliest memory in this house?

As she lands a fork and a knife in your side for feeding she warms the teapot, stealing metals for deep-sea diving

A plate for your bag, a consideration is too much

You lay a hand down on my arm and a little life lifts up and out, traveling up overhead like the ghost of partners past

I am not superb

Look at my hands; I have dermatitis

Come this time of year my, my shoulders are also very weak

It’s important you look to my sister

She’s my sister, she’s my sister

She’s fitter than me

Far more, more my superior

Her clothes are branded for portraits

She’s my sister, she’s my sister

Sister, why have you not written to me once more in this sickness

I fell down on the hillside weakened by the pressure of the land, and you never wrote

You are supposed to be my lover, my sister

As she smoothes those eyelids down, or those two eyes of brown

In such soothing tender-wise cometh lady button-eyes (Cometh lady button-eyes)

Cometh, lady button-eyes (Cometh lady button-eyes)

Cometh, lady button-eyes (Cometh lady button-eyes)

Cometh, lady button-eyes (Cometh lady button-eyes)

(Cometh lady button-eyes)

(Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine (Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine! (Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine! (Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine! (Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine! (Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine! (Cometh lady button-eyes)

She’s mine! (Cometh lady button-eyes)