Sunday, December 06, 2009

you lucky, lucky girl




One of the things they don't tell you when you are little is that the best part about growing up and doing what you love is that you will find other people who love what you do, and who make you glad to be who you are. For example, my best friend, who is a scientist, recently told me about how happy it makes her to have friends who will turn to her and say, "I was reading about the stars yesterday..."

For me, one of the greatest pleasures of my life is knowing other writers, who carry their notebooks like security blankets, and talk about our favorite authors like they're friends we saw on the street earlier, and have portmanteau-making contests over French fries (and are nerdy enough to know what portmanteau means), and who constantly send me emails with subject lines like "i am obsessed with this poem."

Today's most recent wonderful thing comes courtesy of miss Jessie Rogers.

"Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell"

leaving is not enough; you must
stay gone. train your heart
like a dog. change the locks
even on the house he’s never
visited. you lucky, lucky girl.
you have an apartment
just your size. a bathtub
full of tea. a heart the size
of Arizona, but not nearly
so arid. don’t wish away
your cracked past, your
crooked toes, your problems
are papier mache puppets
you made or bought because the vendor
at the market was so compelling you just
had to have them. you had to have him.
and you did. and now you pull down
the bridge between your houses,
you make him call before
he visits, you take a lover
for granted, you take
a lover who looks at you
like maybe you are magic. make
the first bottle you consume
in this place a relic. place it
on whatever altar you fashion
with a knife and five cranberries.
don’t lose too much weight.
stupid girls are always trying
to disappear as revenge. and you
are not stupid. you loved a man
with more hands than a parade
of beggars, and here you stand. heart
like a four-poster bed. heart like a canvas.
heart leaking something so strong
they can smell it in the street.

3 Comments:

Blogger doublenegative said...

That is a badass poem. And very apropos and stuff.

9:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

4:30 AM  
Blogger NIDA said...

i am beginner in bloging your blog is very nice
i requested to u to adice me for good bloging
i will wait for your advices
love 4u

4:16 AM  

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