Monday, July 13, 2009

Moving On. (Monday.) You Made of Everything.

You live in time, too fast in the hot flutter of daylight. Stand still! I say as I braid your hair. But you won't and the camera, it flattens your face and there is always something that I cannot reach. (Stand still. My words thin in your air, like shouting into an ocean the sounds fall back on me, full of joy and regret like a photograph.) I like to hold your face, look deep into your ears, open your mouth to see your molars, turn you this way and that; you move away, or maybe it is me who is receding.

I watch my words from where I sit on the couch, hairbrush in hand, strands of you caught between my fingers. You laugh and twist away so I braid what I have of you with what I have of me, plaits of a necklace twisted chain of daisies meant one day for your throat, smooth as corn tassel, my girl of wheat warm and sweet, of seaweed and starfish, exclamation point of fog.
At night I watch you sleep with a hunger that slices my breasts into slabs.

9 comments:

JennyA said...

You are pure poetry, my dear. Crazy beautiful.

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

Your words moved me on this very beautiful Monday! I feel the same way about my little girl...she is made of everything and she is my everything!

Just found your blog and so glad I did! Gorgeous!

Noticed your in California too!

Michelle in Ky said...

Oh Susannah...
Didn't make i there until tonight...but, I am SO glad I made it. Your words make me weep and I am going straight back upstairs to kiss my babies again. Thank You for the daily reminders of keeping things in perspective.

Michelle in KY said...

Oh Susannah...
R U kiddin' me?.... There's only THREE responses/comments to this...something so beautiful! BUT, then people want to make a big deal out of what you wrote last week!!! So confusing! It's absolutely beautiful what you wrote today and you pulled words right out of my heart. I feel the same way about my children.

Heather said...

simply lovely!

Maggie May said...

Yes exactly. She's so beautiful, your girl.

Anonymous said...

At night I watch you sleep with a hunger that slices my breasts into slabs.
Wonderful......

ohnomyboots said...

"wheat warm and sweet"
Perfect.

And then I laughed at "slices my breasts into slabs", picturing you standing there, over her big girl bed, eyes all misty, double fisting peanut butter sandwiches as your breasts fall "fuhh-luhmp!" to the floor like beef patties.

Your writing gets in, hits hard, Susannah, a sweet-tipped arrow that pierces and tickles. Thank you.

Petunia Face said...

Hi everyone,

Just trying my hand at poetry, even if I couldn't make myself break from paragraph form.
Thank you for all your kind words :)

xo,
S