Medea, NASA Wife

Death is the ultimate gravity.
Astronauts understand this, and live forever,
but weep as they work, knowing they can never go home again.

What friend, what doctor,
can comfort the deathless in their solitary endlessness?
What aspect of research, 
what nourishing knowledge
could ever make their exile bearable?

Look! In the sky!
Nothing. 
Woman, you cannot touch them; there is nothing so remote as a departing spouse,
sure of everything and saying so,
all the while

fearing the fire of re-entry
and the facing of wives and waves which once welcomed, and now destroy.
______

for get listed with grapeling at real toads.

The Thing That Was Created

Among the rolled up plans,
the coffee mugs,
the beakers,

there was one thing which was not like the others

because
it was alive.

At first, the thing that had been created was the object
of much lively discussion,
amusement and
conjecture

until it demonstrated that it was dangerous.

Then they
wanted to kill it, but it 
wanted its life as much as they wanted theirs,
as much as I want mine
and you want yours.

It fought
and was denounced;
it killed
and was set upon by its very creators.

Among the observers, both lay and professional,
the officers of the court
and those accusing and accused, judging and judged,

there was one which was not like the others

because
the bloody thing,
howling and unhuman,

alone among them all,
was innocent.
______

 

Progression

Ice broke the bowl
of the bird bath.
Spring had revenge upon the ice.

In summer I watched my sweet dog
step up and hide her head
against my stomach, for love.
Winter cared nothing for her.
She is gone.

Illness broke the bowl
of my body.
Today's better, though.
I tell the empty room.
_____

a flash 55 about extremes for Kerry at Real Toads.
 

Pearl Harbor

What you did before?
Can't do it anymore.
Shoulda done it when ya could've, say all the dark mothers,
whispering from the walls. 

Lookitcha.
Fat as a battle ship, slow as one, too.
Girrrrl.
Unh unh unh.

All that time, the Zeros were flying,
there you were,
lazy as an umbrella in last night's drink.

Now you're a mess, damn.
On fire and sinking,
feel like shit all the time, and might lose that breast. 

Steam for the mouth of the harbor,
and tell that stupid band to shut up.
Who the fuck are those guys in the planes, where'd they come from?

So many questions, you're so inquisitive! Let me try to answer.
No, this isn't a drill.
Yes, those are real bullets.
No, you never did anything to them; they don't even know you.
Yes, they're trying to kill you.

What's that last question you asked, dear?
On purpose? Bless your heart. They came out of the Sunday sky, that's all.
_______

Not In Love

I'm not in love,
and won't be again.
No rooster in the dawn.
No eggs from the hen.

See the sky gone dark blue late.
No bird nor dumpling on the plate.
No stars, no moon
to compensate

for fools who feel like I did then.

Athena

Athena--Mama said
not to go out in the
garden
barefoot
after it rains.

Ignore her. Do 
it anyway.
You are a Goddess--

the Earth moves at
your whim,
between
your toes.

Athena--every foot-
print you ever make
will be
erased
eventually.

Never mind that.
Never mind Mama.
Go change
the world

by walking barefoot
in the mud, by
picking a 
flower, by
being you, right now, in the world as it is.
_____

for Hannah's "footprints" challenge. I hope it's adequate; I don't feel much like writing.

 
 

 

Dear Girl

the bowls are stored away--
i couldn't bear to see them empty.

your leash turned up in my purse today
at work and made me cry.

i gave your extra chews and treats--so many of them--
to your adored big human brother, for his babies.

i have cleaned up the blood from your illness
from my floors because seeing it made me question God.

but your toys are still everywhere--your donkey, your raccoon, your lamb--
to remind me of joy; that exotic thing as common as kibble to you, dear girl.
______

for the sunday mini-challenge.