She carried her mother's pain as a dolly
stroking its face, whispering hush in its ear.
She unclipped her purse and emptied handfuls
of beads, teardrop pearls, she’d keep for later.
She sat amongst her uncles as an equal, perched
on the head of the armchair, doling out advice.
She counted the money from her father's pockets,
stacked towers of coins on the table for each sibling.
While they were at school she’d go to the butcher,
the baker, the grocers, crumbed chicken for tea.
Her father knelt at her gold-post bed crying
quietly, as not to wake her sister. She understood.
When she was left alone, their stories and questions
would settle on her brow and wrinkle her little face.
Bianca Pina is a multi-media Poet based in London. Her work encompasses many mediums including language, ink, clay, pixels, photography and illustration. As a neurodivergent Bianca works in constellations rather than with strict linear ideas. Her poetry often has an arresting, brittle quality that can be both jagged and tender and explores the complex fields of family and personal history. Bianca has completed a MA in Writing Poetry through Newcastle University & The Poetry School London. She has published a chapbook titled Artificial & Otherwise with Good Space Gallery for their Machine Dreams exhibition. Her work can be found on www.biancapina.com and on social media @Bianca___pina.
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