Adamson, Robert: My house

My mother lives in a house

where nobody has ever died

she surrounds herself and

her family with light

each time I go home

I feel she is washing and ironing

the clothes of death

these clothes for work

and for going

out to the Club on Sunday

and for Jenny to take her baby

to the doctor in

death comes on the television

and Mum laughs

saying there’s death again

I must get those jeans taken up