right hand pointing

in an antique

Mexican bowl,

Helga kneads

the white paste

of sugar, water,

and meringue powder.

Feigning sleep,

Irene listens for,

like fresh snow

squeezed into

a snowball,

the crunching sound

the paste will make

as Helga,

after kneading it

to just the right

consistency,

presses it

into the mold

of a plastic

human skull.