girl & dog.
I saw myself in her,
years ago,
when I was a woman fallen overboard,
sinking.
I was a ball of string
unwinding right down to the speechless bone.
I shall be this girl, I decided, not thinking it was anything more than a wish.
I shall have a border collie like this one, too,
named Bosco, because...well, because of a certainty I could not have explained.
He will be mine alone,
unlike my spouse,
unlike my child,
unlike anything I do or say or move through, now.
When the one who would soon enough trade me for madness asked,
"What are you thinking?",
I said, "I am thinking I will grow my hair long."
Girl & dog on my mug have faded;
alone among them all, this one has lost its paint,
and gone faint.
The company stopped making the tea it came with,
and I have gone back to coffee, and my own skin.
Look at me, long-haired, though it is going to silver;
look at me alone, back to being the poet,
and look at the black and white friend at my feet.
I made my life from a five dollar mug.
It's gone to white while I am a vivid red,
waved in front of the world like a dare.
________
we should all wave in front of the world like a dare.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly like a dare. You have come full circle ("back to the gypsy that I was.....") I used to buy Celestial Seasonings tea just for the little quotes on the box. I kept the boxes and tossed the tea. :-) Awesome words, Shay. xo
ReplyDeleteOh Shay! This is you, through and through, and it says something, too, about the universe, and things appearing to us at the right time and place, and animals who take up a life with us and help us to heal and mend.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem for its honesty and self-affirmation.
The turning point is not always a huge epiphany driven by giant paradigms...as you have so aptly put it, taking it back to the simpleness of living and loving no matter what the shape can reap huge rewads personally I think. A bit of philosophy from the pen of one of our mad geniuses. Yay...loved it.
ReplyDeletegreatness. love it.
ReplyDeleteAs always, a spirited poem that comes right from your heart, and speaks to mine. This is such an inspiring story.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for reading my post this week, even though you "hate haiku" :D
Lots of love!
Perfection! And inspiring too...
ReplyDeletethat daring red is precisely what makes ur poems so special.lovely tale.
ReplyDeleteI. Love. This. Poem. And that furry fellow sitting at your feet. Yes, they are only ours, as a human can never be. And they love us better too, and unwaveringly. LOVE this poem!!!!!! And the long hair, turning to silver..........our badge of honor.
ReplyDeleteExcellent in its feel, importance and execution. I love this.
ReplyDeleteSilver Haired chicks are HOT!
ReplyDeleteEspecially with a little St. John's Wort dribbling down the side of her mouth.
(I've been to the Celestial Seasonings plant in Colorado three times. The last time I was there, someone overheard me say that I lived in Flint. A small crowd gathered around me wanting my autograph. They thought that I was Michael Moore...hehehehehe)
What silver-haired woman do I know of who SOMEONE considers hot? I wonder...I think she might be a singer;)
ReplyDeleteThe last line, "waved in front of the world like a dare" is especially brilliant.
Shay in a gingham frock? That one I'll have to ponder...
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ReplyDelete"I was a ball of string
ReplyDeleteunwinding right down to the speechless bone." My favorite bit in this.
"Waved in front of the world like a dare," yeah, that is you, Shay! Your poetry is at times touching (much like this one - the simple image of the coffee cup, and the fading of the image) and daring... you are at your best when it's "eggs out," ha ha ha. I love your wild woman edge! Amy
ReplyDeleteWhat truth--the image on the mug is the best! And it does fade--faster if you use a dishwasher--but dogs bring life and wave us like flags (as opposed to dreams of riches and crowns).
ReplyDeleteBetter to be a woman with a dog than a ball of string unwinding.
ReplyDeleteYou never cease to amaze me, Shay.
K
Shay, i LOOOOVVVEEEEE this one, love it! love it. such a true and clear snapshot, a memory, and i'm sure a scent and a taste to go along with it. i have long had a thing for Celestial Seasonings... several varieties and used to love Mood Mender. now i drink Tension Tamer (similarly, heh) and i have a compulsion to consume Bengal Spice every single day. this poem makes me feel all connected to you across time and space and experience. aw. nice!
ReplyDeleteI like this. What a wonderful reflection on life and a faded mug. Thanks for sharing this piece of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem; it's one of my favorites of your poems.
ReplyDelete"I saw myself in her,
years ago,
when I was a woman fallen overboard,
sinking."
"I shall be this girl, I decided, not thinking it was anything more than a wish."
"He will be mine alone,
unlike my spouse,
unlike my child,
unlike anything I do or say or move through, now."
"When the one who would soon enough trade me for madness asked"
"I am thinking I will grow my hair long"
"The company stopped making the tea it came with,
and I have gone back to coffee, and my own skin."
"Look at me, long-haired, though it is going to silver;
look at me alone, back to being the poet,
and look at the black and white friend at my feet.
I made my life from a five dollar mug.
It's gone to white while I am a vivid red,
waved in front of the world like a dare."
These are all the parts I love best, those that touch me and just sound really original, interesting, and deep. I'm crazy about your writing and your thorn-dirty, deep heart.
If I were to look at myself very honestly, sitting down to write real poetry, I would say to myself, "This is how you will write. And this is how you will be written. Now pick up your pencil, and story of your needs."
ReplyDeleteI love this.
ReplyDelete