tight wire walkers

we were skilled

children,

athletic, bone thin,

tight wire

walkers along

the sills

of rooms, kitchen counters,

skilled

with butter knives

cleaning the remnants

of jelly and peanut

butter jars,

we knew

were the cookies were

hidden,

the candy,

drinking from the gallon

jug the last

spills of milk

or juice.

we knew not to bite

into the brown

soft spot of an apple.

we knew how to survive,

eyeing the plate

of seven pork

chops on a plate, waiting

for grace to end,

to snatch the largest piece.