As the Crow Flies
on days when wind lifted the house
creaking like a boat my mother was afraid
wouldn’t let me drive the sedan
wouldn’t give me the keys wind would send
the pines down on me she said
.
I watched our neighbor spread the blue
speckled wings of the parakeets over her hand
a sharp instrument like the front teeth
of an angry dog she clipped
the important feathers so the birds stayed caged
.
if I was quiet leg over windowsill keys in my shorts’
pocket wind shoving me into the roses then I
.
I hung my head out the red car’s window loved
my hair tugged back by speed my t-shirt rippling
shell flowers at my throat steered with one finger
no brakes
no brakes I was heading for something big fast
.
leaves through the front door blown open
my mother was afraid maple leaves skittered
spiders down the hall over the Persian carpet
.
my mother was afraid perhaps I was not really
related my voice too loud
my eyes too dark and small hard to read
I ran too fast from the things she walked towards
she was concerned about my breasts too naked
I was always too naked she said no matter
how I dressed
.
and in the desert sometimes the mothers are afraid
they spread the legs of their daughters with a broken
bottle they slash they take away the keys
.
the freeway long the hills moved like cats stretching
.
I was heading for something big the wind rocked
the car and my mother was afraid
Maybe too much repetition? Does it hit you over the head with a message?
4 comments:
Thanks for tips. I'm going to check out those writers. I've read Gluck, but not the piece you talk about.
Hi Christine,
I like this poem. About the repetition of 'my mother was afraid': it sort of what the quality of a sestina about it in this poem. I'd suggest, for the very last line, changing it just a hair, say,
'and my mother she was afraid'
I don't know. What do you think?
By the way, what was the context for the "rape murder and sex, sex, sex" comment? Seems a bit off to me. ;-)
Sorry, I'd meant to type 'it sort of has the quality of a sestina'.
And
'and my mother she was afraid'
Gak.
thanks, Ivy! good points. The quote about my poetry -- ah, I might have actually misunderstood that, because I read it back to the person who said it, and he said, I said what!
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