Painting

AINTING

I got a mouthful of magnolia on turning
For the bus stop.
He used to decorate every couple of years
Bringing the roller tray out from the shed
Usually white or cream colourings
Keep it safe, keep it clean.
The rooms would stink for hours
A full lingering scent, nearly enough to taste
Unlike other smells that seem to fade away.
The brushes put in jars over night by the back door
He had a way of keeping his bottom lip in his mouth
As he brushed.
Those light denim jeans with speckles and dabs of paint
Splashes off the roller.

Keeping his best brush for ‘cutting in’
That’s when he’d go quiet.
Balancing on the ladder.