Thursday, September 17, 2009

God Shatters Grandmother's Fingers

Hands so brittle I fear they'll shatter when they squeeze my own,
Fervently thumbing through prayer beads
Hundreds and hundreds of times,
Racing like rickshaws through Bangladesh...

"Do your bones ever crack?"

"Only when God wants them to."

Friday, September 4, 2009

I wish I could be like the men of Legends--

I wish I could be like the men of Legends--

Unbreakable flesh and bone,
Muscles of marble stone,
A statue with a leaf
Between my legs for modesty--

be Strong, I mean--

and

Have admirers at my beck and call,
Looks to make Adonis pall,
Hair of curly naïveté
Crowned with the laurels of wisemen--

be Beautiful, you see--

and

Known on Olympus and far beyond,
Kept in memories ever fond,
Referenced in stone tablet texts
And scrolls found lifetimes after--

be Remembered, really--


but,

above all,



Keep the Fates and Muses at odds

With wit enough to unmake gods.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Tell me, sweet---

Tell me, sweet--
What will you eat
When I am old and dry?

Won't cook, or bake
Your carrot cake
When I'm no longer spry.

Tell me, honey--
How will money
The march of time deny?

I'll hack and wheeze,
And wobble my knees,
Knit sweaters on my thigh.

Tell me, dear--
Why do you fear
The fact we all will die?

My bones will crack,
I'll break my back,
And beside you I will lie.