AUTHOR NARRATION
Hear the poem.
Read by A.F. King in the original English.
EdgewiseA.F. King · English narration
POEM + MEMORY
Edgewise
A childhood archaeology of broken glass, disobedience, secrecy, and the private logic by which discarded things become precious.
AUTHOR'S MEMORY
The rule against broken glass.
This section is reserved for the short autobiographical story behind the poem: collecting colored shards, being told to stop, continuing secretly, and finally being caught.
Add the author account here when ready. It can be more conversational than the poem itself: where the glass was found, what made it feel valuable, how the rule was understood as a child, and what happened when the hidden collection was discovered.
Editorial prompt
What did the pieces look like? Why did “you don’t know where that’s been” feel insufficient? What remains vivid about hiding in the bath rather than facing the disappointment?
READER DISCUSSION
Reader comments will appear here after the discussion system is connected.