The Burning (For my Mother)

 

i want you to know

 that this rock-body hung

 over your edge

hands clinging blistered

 head bent slight

 at popping liquid

whose steam wove

 between  terrified toes

 

i want you to know

 that my rubber limbs folded

 and slipped from your embrace

  skin rose and crackled

  hairstrands singed to my skull

 

i want you to know

  that every limb, every hair,

every ligament every toenail

 each kidney and each eye

 one spine and one

 heart

 every inch of gut that carried

every bite of bread

 that gave me life

 seared and shrunk

shrunk and melted.

 

 for they

 are of no use

 to a Fallen Woman

 

 i want you to know

 that there I lay

 prepared to Be no longer

 

I want you to know

 that when the pull of your eyes

 wrapped lines of light

 around my pearl body

 the tug of your compassion

 lifted this load

 and out dropped my fine feathers

 to be given the infinate air

 

i want you to know that it was not your

Strength that rose this Spirit

 i want you to know that it was

mine

 all along.

 i want you to know, that a Risen Woman

 is a woman whose fortitude has been seen

Author's Note

Please don't spare my feelings, but if you think it needs work, please tell me how.

Reviews

[Paul Seaman]

I cant tell if you are praising your mom or chastising her ;-)

[TLK]

"i want you to know that it was not your / Strength that rose this Spirit / i want you to know that it was / mine / all along," is a very bold declaration that fits well with the directness of the language in this poem. The precision with which body parts are catalogued was also interesting, really increasing the focus of the reader on the "rock-body".