Tish Davis
Eyes on the Cupboards
After Vasko Popa
Once again, the male cupboard in the second-hand store is showing off his pine—his Scandinavian heritage, Pinus sylvestris—creaking his hinges, hoping she’ll look his way…
But with her laminated face already starting to peel, she knows he won’t be her mate.
“Take it away!” said the stranger, the decorator with the fancy clipboard who invaded her only real home.
Then a hammer’s claw scraped against her skin…. The truck was cold.
Now she waits, at this last stop when there’s nowhere else to go, another face in the crowd of the unwanted.
the homeless
with their children
in the shelter…
one by one
the creak of hinges
Note: Vasko Popa (1922–1991) was a prominent Serbian poet influenced by both surrealism and Serbian folk traditions. Some of his work can be found here.
About the Author
Tish Davis lives in Northern Ohio. Her tanka and related forms have appeared in numerous online and print publications. When she isn’t busy with work and grandchildren she enjoys exploring the local parks with her husband and three dogs.