༺ Yarn ༻

scrabble at Christmas
Grandma Burke visiting
mam and dad in a team
me and Jem

clicking clicky tiles
looking up at the ceiling
making occasional
afcse
cafes
facse
faces

the clock ticked away
intellectual vigour
then suddenly
magnificently
she farted

deeply
sonorously

the adults kept playing
as though Grandma
had not in fact
let one rip
all three
dead straight faces

mine
and Jem’s
were pressed into the carpet
belly muscles in spasm
aching cheeks

the more serious they looked
the more we howled
it couldn’t
be helped