when Aunt Mary was born her mother
| loathed her for having Father’s face
| | loathed Jido for forcing Mother’s hand in
| | | holy matrimony before age eighteen
| | | | Father found Mother stuffing grape leaves
| | | | | Mother never wanted his weighty fingers
| | | | | | folding her family’s food the wrong way
| | | | | | | eating the excess rice & raw meat
I too am marked for ever I
| | | | | | | | |onions dipped in sugar|
carry your image within and without me
| | | | | | | Father got what he desired every time
| | | | | | Father had what Mother deserved too
| | | | | whatever Mother longed for was forbidden
| | | | whatever Mother lauded she lost at conception
| | | when the highest form of luxury was love
| | something Mother knew nothing good about
| a man with an insatiable taste for olives
a woman with scarred olive branch arms