She carries her poems
She carries her poems
like braille across her face
She carries her poems
in her blood and bones
tied to her wrists
and tangled in her hair
She carries them
on her lips and pours them
over his skin as he sleeps
She carries them
in her belly where they become a tree
growing from roots whose fists grip tightly
to the earth's damp flesh
branches reaching from her chest
to finger the sun
leaves with upturned faces
waiting to kiss the stars
She carries her poems
in the train of memory
she drags behind her
through the desert sand
and into the pastel horizon
She carries them
like a raven in the cage of her heart
flapping wildly but without feathers or form
a fierce flier who lifts into the air
once the door is open
and becomes a hawk
in graceful, powerful, attentive flight
She carries them
cupped in her pale hands
then tosses them towards the sky
to be scattered by the wind
weightless dancers twirling in the breeze
She carries her poems
in the dark secrets in her eyes
She carries her poems
beautiful ... really beautiful.
Posted by: daisies | November 20, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Beautiful!
Posted by: Georgia | November 20, 2007 at 06:23 AM
i especially love the metaphor of the tree. quite beautiful and vivid imagery.
i also love the pic, stone upon stone as beautiful as the prose upon prose in this poem!
Posted by: jenica | November 19, 2007 at 10:09 PM
Oh-oh - I love it. I love especially
She carries her poems
in the train of memory
she drags behind her
through the desert sand
and into the pastel horizon
Oh, I love it. One of my most favorites of all you've ever shared.
Posted by: Sam | November 19, 2007 at 08:05 PM
Oh-oh - I love it. I love especially
She carries her poems
in the train of memory
she drags behind her
through the desert sand
and into the pastel horizon
Oh, I love it. One of my most favorites of all you've ever shared.
Posted by: Sam | November 19, 2007 at 08:04 PM
You nailed it! Perfect description of poems!
Posted by: Linda Jacobs | November 19, 2007 at 04:29 PM
Likewise, I loved the "She carries them on her lips and pours them over his skin as he sleeps"
Where do you get your poems from - they are so inspired.
I'd love to hear more about your creative process. Do your poems just come to you out of thin air and you have to rush to scribble them down, or is it a case of sitting quietly and reaching within for the words. Either way, you're brilliant!
Posted by: claire | November 19, 2007 at 01:40 PM
I love the imagery of braille across her face. V. nice!
Posted by: Toryssa | November 19, 2007 at 09:10 AM
stunning...
Posted by: ruby | November 19, 2007 at 08:36 AM
Beautiful, Michelle. I think this was one of my favorite SS prompts. Deep truths here. Keep speaking them.
Posted by: Marilyn | November 19, 2007 at 04:55 AM
i think that this has
been one of my most favorite poems
of yours...
so much that i liked...
this i loved
"She carries them
on her lips and pours them
over his skin as he sleeps"
Posted by: gkgirl | November 19, 2007 at 04:31 AM
i think that this has
been one of my most favorite poems
of yours...
so much that i liked...
this i loved
"She carries them
on her lips and pours them
over his skin as he sleeps"
Posted by: gkgirl | November 19, 2007 at 04:31 AM
You are a word magician.
Posted by: hel | November 19, 2007 at 03:47 AM
That's a beautiful poem, Michelle...lovely response to the prompt!
Posted by: DebR | November 18, 2007 at 11:05 PM
Love this! The repetition keeps the poem going. So much movement and flight. It is a wonderful statement about poetry and the female voice.
Posted by: January | November 18, 2007 at 08:05 PM