Growing Up
Eleanor Furness

Family gatherings include
          Swallowed comments like
                  Baby shrimp which
​                           Resemble mice fetuses and
                                       Smell like cat breath and
                                                  Feel like pig guts
                                                           Scraping the edges, corners, and walls of the room and I’m
                                                           stuck. My fork collects the last traces of dried sauce on my
                                                           plate. I don’t eat it. 
                                                  My cousin gets uncomfortable and decides it’s time to go
                                        His parents and sister listen when he says so
                            After two decades they’re still careful with him
                    They support his arms while he walks and watch his expressions long before he makes them
            They communicate in coffee-table-code and don’t usually talk about it once he’s left
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Whoever brought the shrimp placed them in a beautiful bowl
I feel lucky to be there