church food

when we were dirt poor.

the church

would bring us baskets of food,

leaving them

on the front porch.

but never any candy,

or sodas,

or chips or cookies,

not a single

Bundt cake,

but meat

and potatoes.

chicken and frozen

fish,

string beans in cans.

the occasional

ham,

heads of lettuce,

carrots.

i lugged it all in to my 

mother sleeping on the couch,

quietly on cat's feet,

nearly

breaking my wrists.