gather in groups--
little ions looking for a charge.
Girls grow up greedy to spout the wildest stuff
about each other
or boys
or all the things they will do.
Girls spend hours in front of mirrors
telling lie upon lie.
I'm ugly/ I'm pretty/ that's enough/ never enough.
Girls grow and haul a whole hope chest stuffed with lies
behind them to college,
to the altar,
to the nursery.
Lies looking for girls to tell them are never lonely for long.
Diogenes ran a girls' school until he lost his mind.
The students lied and said he went sailing.
Sit with me. Talk.
Our mothers did the best they could.
We'll always be like sisters.
This tea is good.
Lies looking for girls to tell them
don't stop when friends go home.
They circle when you're
anxious
afraid
alone.
At sunset I shake all my gathered lies from my apron to the sky,
and when they work together,
oh the storm
oh the storm.
_______
Beautiful and sorrowful poem. Well done
ReplyDeleteJust a superb opening conceit, Shay, followed through flawlessly line by line, each stanza carving the hieroglyph a bit deeper in the soul for future generations to take notice--but they never do...the fifth and six stanza are knife-sharp(as always you show not tell) and the first and last stanzas bookend the whole like the exquisite things they are. Really cannot see how this could be any better.
ReplyDeleteyou craft concepts and words like no one else.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite poems of yours, Shay. It is real, it is true, and I love the sitting together, talking and "this tea is good." This is how it is with women. Loved this.
ReplyDeleteOh the storm!
ReplyDeleteYou are unique
ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=
Terrific opening and close, especially, but the whole thing is good. I hate to think of it as true--but it certainly is powerful. Thanks. k.
ReplyDeleteKarin--I literally dreamed up the title line.
ReplyDeleteI love the entire notion, Shay. Wish that I'd thought of it.
ReplyDeleteWow. Just superb.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteall I can do is echo - brilliant ~
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I stumbled across this. Wow...why do we love those lies so? Cracking write, Shay. (I would have said brilliant, but everyone else already did)
ReplyDeletesure, sure... i'll trust you (about as far as i can throw you, as the saying goes.) love your labels!
ReplyDeletethis poem is FABulous, SP!
"Lies looking for girls to tell them"
only you could come up with such a fantastic line!
enjoyed the tune, as well.
♥