Vacancies

Here is the dining room table
marked by eight people.

The leg that is more than slightly broken
leans on the wall and the chairs,
these are chairs we all sat and fought in
to pass the cereal
or the milk. Don't finish that or else,
stop poking me and why is it so cold?

This is the living room rug
where many unsuccessful cart wheels
ended in pain and laughter. Mostly pain.
And here is the staircase
that shuddered every time someone slipped
and bruised some area of their body.
The dented washroom doorknob, replaced
several times during
the course of these years.

Here again are the empty chairs at suhoor
and only softly whispered questions of
when fajr comes in.