papier-mâché
an empty carton of milk
former half gallon of chocolate
she refills it with her own
measured concoction
the smell of powdered chalk
filling her nostrils
she doesn’t read the newspaper
instead shreds it into thin long slats
taking on the shape of a burial mound
piled high on the makeshift table
days goes by before having at it again
tearing into the carton to get to the solid block
from there carving & sanding
meticulously ensues
mimicking the miniature clay prototype
at rest on a shelf
in the corner of her eye
august two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
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