and perched watching me--my remainder self--
broad-leafed, overtall, growing from a gap in the step.
There were heels on the paving stones,
a spill of some harsh but bone-known tongue.
I woke, the tether caught--
the mews reoccupied.
I rose, swayed; hawk & hollyhock in temporary union.
______________
Note: In falconry, a mews is a birdhouse designed to house one or more birds of prey. In falconry there are two types of mews: the freeloft mews and traditional mews. Traditional mews usually consist of partitioned spaces designed to keep tethered birds separated with perches for each bird in the partitioned space.
A 55 for my BFF.
It may be the mood I'm in, but this poem has me singing "I've Got to Break Free". I like the defiance of the gangling hollyhock taking up its patch of earth coupling with the free roaming of the spirit at night.
ReplyDeleteYou Mystic!
ReplyDeleteOne of your usual exotic but spot-on perfect uses of the metaphor, Shay. I love the word 'mews'(though I was only familiar with its Brit use, a street built around stabling for horses) as much for its sound as its meaning, with its sibilant soft murmur like wings, and I especially like that both the spirit and the soul are twinned by this escape through space and time, thru a cracked step that lets such wild things be within the waiting shell of the 'remainder.' This captures the feel of a dream with a soft precision--a very fine 55, and thanks for playing; please have a kickass weekend, BFF.
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool, Shay. Every word counts in this multi-layered image - another for the Gemini girls on the loose - a hawk and a hollyhock, root-bound and flying free.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this so much, love the title, the memory of hollyhocks in my grandma's garden, the perseverance of the plant, growing from a crevice, and, especially, your closing. You make every word count. I also really enjoy the comments on your poems, especially from Hedge and Kerry!
ReplyDeleteThis so reminds me of home, where I grew up. We finally tore down the mews between our houses when I was in high school. They stables were leveled and gardens put in but still...the hollyhocks persisted in growing among the veggies and herbs, like rebellious teenagers showing off their red, purple, pink, and white blooms. I brought some of the seed pods with me when mama sold the house and have carted them about, sowing them wherever I lived that had dirt. they now grace our lot and have shared themselves with neighbors and friends. The hawk is so free. I watched them today flirting with the wind.
ReplyDeleteEnchanting!
ReplyDeleteThis is exquisite. Rich and earthy and so close I can touch.
ReplyDelete