FAMILY ONE

Dear Lorna,

Today I slid down this ravine,
sailing on crystal marbles,
a mile down I’d say,
and it was cool,
but I tripped up or something,
hit a rock or something,
and fell into the screaming stones
like some dumb tourist,
rolling, rolling in the red stuff,
alone.

It didn’t hurt.
We’re like babies, we’re young
and we don’t weigh nothing up here.

This dude called Todd showed up.
Like, rescued me.
He looked like me, but shining white.
Turns out he’s my brother, kind of.
Most of us are.
I told him to write you
but you know how it is.

Another pink dawn,
another blushing sunset.
This place gets under your nails.
In your eyes your socks and your hair.
You get used to it.
Up here we’re one big family.
We do what we do
clung to this rusted island,
keeping our ashes from the dust.

Always,
Luke.

Mark Gilbert lives in the UK and writes short prose and poetry. His work has recently appeared in House of Horrors #6 (Alien Buddha Press), Dirigible Balloon, Shot Glass Journal (in collaboration with Eavonka Ettinger) and the Dwarf Stars anthology.

Find more by Mark Gilbert in the Author Index.