BOYS ARE LIKE DIAMONDS

Boys are like diamonds, girls are like cotton

                                                       Kor proverb

Lena Falada, January, 1990:

And my Anna left below

while the diamond boys go up the stairs

the diamond boys go up one at a time

up the white steps studded and starred with glass

to the Salt Room, to the  men’s place.

And my Anna looking up

The diamond boys glitter at each other

They stand around the glass table

brilliant in the sunshine from the high panes

while the light changes all along the mountains.

My Anna at the bottom of the stairs

The staircase was wooden once, weathered

silvery grey.  I remember how

it was replaced when the diamond boys

were born.  Broken glass.  Concrete.

Anna in her new apron

Anna’s apron is more use than diamonds.

Such cloth is capable,

will clean and bandage wounds,

 cover your cold body.

Anna with her brown scarf and her rag doll

Cotton is quiet and good, white fleece

from the black earth. Diamonds are only earth –

grown hard, fired, transfixed.  It is wrong

to say they are precious.  If you say so,

people will believe it.

Anna may believe it.

Copyright © Carole Coates, 2009