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Crossing Bright spirit Turned cloud For casting off ballast, Finding thermals. Reliving my childhood Through nightmares, I heard your last Days' struggle to breathe, Not knowing why Until an early morning phone call Draped the air in silver. Hoary spiderwebs of fog and frost Choking down the alive things, Pulling at them, grasping, As they struggle to sit up In a hospital deathbed And shake off the thick wisps Of valley morning air And then realize that the way To get up Is Not to struggle But to stop. A dying body exhales An entity of light, And it sails away To dance with stars. 8:20 am, 1/21/99 Copyright 1999 by Sharon J. Cichelli I love you, Grandpa Joe. Now you are free. |
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Arachnofawning She waits as still as the twig thoughtfully placed in her tank, just more terrain to the cricket, also thoughtfully provided. Long hairs [I wonder if they'd irritate my skin] and legs that are pumped out and drag the body along, But this mighty hunter, Her strength is in her stillness and she waits 6:20 pm, 9/12/98 Copyright 1998 by Sharon J. Cichelli |
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Blackout Illuminations All the power's out, As we fumble for flashlights, And why the hell did we put the matches in the same drawer as the knives, And cars feel their way down the freeway. And I sit on my balcony, By candlelight, Enjoying a dish of gourmet chocolate ice cream To rescue it, Partaking of pleasures I'm too busy for When there's electricity, While my neighbors, On their balconies, Remember what it's like To, while they stare in the same direction, Chat. Since all the power's out, Yet the fireflies disagree. 10:15 pm, 6/16/98 Copyright 1998 by Sharon J. Cichelli |
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Flow Pregnant green river Palpable corduroy vitality Verdant kinetic mystery Child song of secrets Laughing girl older than culture Older than patterns As young as dreams Electric in her transitions Whispers to me Dares me Then grows old and comfortable Warm, thick, slow Smoothing down rocks Tapestry of maternal kisses Wraps me in womb blankets And becomes grandmother Uterus at rest But always mother, Woman, Goddess. Fertile, exploring, wandering river-- She is all women, That heart. 11:10 am, 4/11/98 Copyright 1998 by Sharon J. Cichelli |
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Circle Meeting friends I've always known; A rooster walks his appointed rounds And challenges the dawn to rise; Clouds tag my face With light and dark and now I am It Running In a language of the river So it understands And nods approval; Jealous wind joins in and is Welcomed Relay With wings Granted by the annointed earth Fresh from the storm we called With our song In harmony Of the growing day, 3/14/98 Copyright 1998 by Sharon J. Cichelli |
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Dining Out Three crows Converge To share a meal, Socialize, Unconcerned (unlike humans) Of their eating appearance, (unless unobserved when they guzzle and snarf tip the bag up to get the last crumbs and contortions to finish a soda can slurping sucking sauce from fingertips rooting meat from molars shoveling and smacking raising the soup bowl) Taking dainty bites And making cocktail conversation Over their rabbit roadkill. 4:45 pm, 11/18/97 Copyright 1997 by Sharon J. Cichelli |
