by Donna Faulkner
I live in a house with dead people.
I live upon dead people’s land.
Thinning carrots, I sense
ghosts in the garden.
kneel in sod, sift through
dirt heretofore toiled.
Buried deep beneath pink Damask roses
A dead dog barks at the backdoor.
The good boy’s
still guarding the porch.
There’s a hobby horse blithe in the bedroom.
Faint laughter drifts between walls.
I mingle with spirits in the kitchen
I make bread on a dead woman’s bench.
I stare out at the paddocks and plantings.
Rock at dusk in a dead woman’s chair.
I live in the shadow of dead people.
I tread lightly in old borrowed shoes
previously published in erbacce journal 78, 2014
Donna Faulkner lives in an old cottage in Rangiora , New Zealand. She spent her childhood between countries. One foot bare and carefree in New Zealand, the other tiptoeing the coal dust and camaraderie of working class England. She has been published in The Bayou Review, 300 Days Of Sun, Windward Review,New Myths, Bacopa and many others. She has had both fiction and poetry published in numerous anthologies. She has had both fiction and poetry published in numerous anthologies. She was highly commended for the prestigious erbacce poetry prize every year from 2022 through 2025. She was awarded second place for her nonfiction story ‘The Rag Doll Rider’ by Havik in 2023. More recently her flash fiction ‘Summons to the revolution’ won 2nd prize in literature at ZO magazine international 10th anniversary edition 2025. Books include ‘The Oracle of birds – short stories for the fireside ( Written Tales, USA 2023 and ‘In Silver majesty’ full poetry collection erbacce press UK 2024) You can keep up to date with Donna on Instagram @lady_lilith_poet/ Twitter @nee_miller. https://linktr.ee/