trout

Inflating a dinosaur

Elizabeth Smither

Mouth over the blowhole. When
T-Rex is fully inflated: some thirty breaths
shared among those who are breathing –
my tiny-waisted small-framed daughter

her partner's superman shoulder
who will arrive in time to delete
the last creases from T-Rex's neck
those old man green creases that

inflate last to taut plastic skin
and my contribution: I never knew
how deep my lungs could breathe or expel
what might be stale residual air

residing in their twin pink tanks. Or
how deeply satisfying to suck so hard
on life under the cover of this chore
the T-Rex hanging from my lips.