Memory, from A Man of Heart.

This is taken from A Man of Heart, published by Shearsman press (2023) Maxim 1 History is a record of brutality tempered by outbursts of idealism. Memory There was never enough light. Even in summer, shade and shadows contour brightness. At night, torches and lamps shiver the edge of sight. The candle drew attention to itself while life continued in the silent, darker ebb and pool beyond. I remember her hand on the pillar, a shadow on the white stone. Her eyes bright in a dark face. She was worried, there were visitors, men of power and influence, come to court her daughter. Not bad for a freed slave from the lands around Carthage. I remember her hand on the pillar, the light shaking over the mosaic floor. She had plans. We all had plans.