The Underside of Sleep
1. verba volant
the words play tricks on us at night
fireflies flashing in a summer field
connect the letters
to spell summer
before the lake forms from the ice melt
before the hickory nuts fall open in the road
when the earth plumed sulfur
2. autumnal
sounds like tumble
the morning turns pitch
and smooth like onyx
hematite, marcasite
black-mirrored minerals
hard iron oxides
The last blood
trickles out at the wrong time of year
late summer crickets
a static
to the traffic
3. winter
Sleep sifts
like snow drifts
inside my head
When I wake
and open the doors
a mound of snow pours onto my feet
the way the beginning of darkness
pours out of me
4. carving infinity with a scalpel
I trace the sideways symbol
on the underside of my arm
the skin soft, spotless
the rain sounds like an animal
spring rushing in
Hi Katherine, very sorry I missed your reading. We were away. Enjoyed this poem very much. Missy
Miss Missy,
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I am sure I’ll read again. I actually read frequently, but mostly at open mics so there’s no guarantee I’ll get on the roster. Next time I have a scheduled reading, all you ATs will need to come!
Glad you like the poem. I am not sure it is complete.
Love Love, Katherine