Cosmetics

We brought back lacquerware plates 
that we had painted with almond sap 
and sprinkled with coloured mica 
as if we were masters—a drop of dust 
and a knowing nod, greeted by the sound 
of hands meeting—as if we 
were the most important part of the process.

And the starts of chapters are marked 
with torn receipts, where I had asked 
how she would like her book to be typeset. 
Here are some options, I had said. 
Consider typeface, chapter numbers, 
page numbers, leading, whitespace—
or perhaps we start simple. 
How do you feel about serifs? 
I held the conversation about kerning; 
it could wait.

I bought the frames and measured the walls. 
I trimmed the tassels. I planted the stake 
and tied the tomato plant firm to it. 
I lit the candles and the incense 
and added a wedge of lemon to the tea. 
Some would call me a hero, 
but that is not a label I would apply readily to myself. 
I prefer saviour.

There is an invasive lily in the communal garden 
that I was thinking about pulling out to pot—
they really are beautiful flowers. 
It is a pity they are so toxic to cats. 
Were they just a little toxic, maybe, but no. 
No lilies for me. So it stays in the garden, 
rising amongst the groundcover,
choking all the other plants.

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Kit Willett is a bisexual poet, English teacher, and executive editor of the Aotearoa poetry journal Tarot. His debut poetry collection, Dying of the Light, was published by Wipf and Stock imprint Resource Publications in 2022.