Friday, February 8, 2013

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Postcard 77


i had just turned six when
Elvis died
my mom with her long, dark hair
and my aunt, blonde and long too—

sat out on the steps
with their friends
and their short shorts, sobbing;
Tab and real Pepsi
in the bottle
Virginia Slims between the index
and middle
age

i watched,
barefoot in the warm shade;
topaz eyes full and wide,
little legs tan; and tendril-bleached,
umber hair, wild—

even i knew i wouldn’t  forget
where i was that day
when i heard
‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’
in the background
and cried too



Copyright © 2013 Jennifer Wagner

Sliding in to link up with the amazing poets at dVerse Poets Pub for OpenLinkNight.




revised 2.6.13

Saturday, February 2, 2013

First Blush

mirrored
cherry lip gloss
in pale pink wish for spring
a light breeze bringing blossom thoughts
of you



Copyright © 2013 Jennifer Wagner

My adapted offering for the Weekend Mini-challenge at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads where Marian has challenged us to write a Cinquain; a form of poetry created by American poet Adelaide Crapsey.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Red-winged Blackbird's Funeral


Red-winged Blackbird, Wikimedia Commons



The sky played a trick,
impeding my flight—
dealing my doom.

The worm did not cry,
escaping to the depths
of a joyous homecoming.

Faces in the sky
of my sunset
held their breaths for me,

but brains
do not re-enter skulls;
and trash bags become funerary.

At least
I do not die alone
and without mourners.


Copyright © 2013 Jennifer Wagner


For Peggy’s prompt at Poetry Jam where the prompt is to write from the perspective of an animal.  This incident happened a couple of weeks ago.  A red-winged blackbird flew into our picture window so forcefully it could not recover.  The worm in its beak fell out and crawled away.  The bird, though so fatally wounded, struggled heartily. My boys were mostly fascinated by the scene and the science of it all.  But as the only female in a household of boys and men, it tore my heart a bit. 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Vamp


a murderous
winter passion
held its icy grip

on juicy melons,
mellow-rich

the blood
of raspberries
stained her fingertips

and mouth, lost
in strawberry sublime

found every drop
of juice
every seed

divine



Copyright © 2013 Jennifer Wagner
  
My smoothie obsession/therapy continues...