Light and Shade

Somewhere, there is a house

With tiles in the kitchen

White squares with navy diamonds in between

A wooden island floats

With a lamp sitting on it

Concertina shade

It is cut up by a streak of light from a window

Green shutters open to reveal chipped paint on the frame

There are oranges on the side

And there is parsley in the fridge

There are little silver metal bowls to put olives in

And bookshelves in the living room across the hall

It’s the good kind of quiet

And the good kind of warm

My head is as empty as an olive

Heart as full as an orange

And I stand barefoot

Painted toes

Elbows on the island

Eyes closed

Facing the light

Rose is 23 and has recently finished a masters in Professional Writing at Falmouth University. She writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction, about the details of place and the intricacies of self.