Matrioshka Dolls

Matrioshka halves scatter on the table
Mama’s missing bodies
Baba’s missing heads
pieces of baby
that won’t fit together
born of their splitting frames.
rolling under sofas and chairs,
lost, or broken underfoot.

My youngest sits there playing
fitting Mama’s head to baby’s body
but nothing fits in right
mama’s missing mama
and baba’s missing kids
baba’s broken bodies
and mama’s mixed up heads
all the mismatched pieces
won’t a little family make

My baby keeps on playing
arranging on a tray
mama’s, baba’s and baby’s bottoms
in a tea set —
discarding all the heads.