The girl sat a while, gazing out over the waves
Her hair fell upon her shoulders
Gently like a cool breeze
Her shoes are worn down
Pieces of glass stick in the sole
She picks them out
Places them on the counter top
As if each shard is a marker
A tally of miles tread
Days spent
Minutes lost
The sea is in her mind
It laps her eyelashes
Splendid
Trickling
All about her is light
She waits patiently
Spies the horses in the field
If she lies still
The pain subsides
The sirens fade into the distance
She mops up the footprints
Considers the silence
The girl sat a while, gazing out over the waves.
I can see her, looking over the waves, spying horses in the field....lying still, so the pain stops. Wonderful, Jae.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I LOVE this mid-section:
ReplyDelete"The sea is in her mind
It laps her eyelashes
Splendid
Trickling"
What a fabulous poem. It reminds me of watching my teenaged daughter hunting sand creatures at the beach last week.
A good imagination can see you through anything.
"The pain subsides
The sirens fade into the distance
She mops up the footprints"
I love imagining that this section makes it be about a waitress, or a homemaker, cleaning up after people but all the while, imagining herself somewhere else, somewhere beautiful.
and this too shall pass. pondering and knowing time will heal, footprints will be refreshened...
ReplyDeleteA moment of contemplation, looking out over the waves...The gulls fly above her, and the sand crabs nibble at her toes...summer is sometimes like that.
ReplyDelete"The sea is in her mind/It laps her eyelashes": This is such a beautiful part. You create a very vivid and real scene here - it is introspective and deeply felt.
ReplyDelete-HA
I too really like this poem Jae. I truly like that if she is still the pain will subside. Some wonderful imagery in this.
ReplyDeleteWell Jae, who has found her poetic muse again to come out with something a beautiful a this? I loved every word for it had such an amazing feeling of anticipation and hope.
ReplyDeleteIf she lies still, the pain subsides. Yes, yes. Love this poem.
ReplyDeleteOh I love where you've taken that first line. I'm partial to these lines:
ReplyDelete"As if each shard is a marker
A tally of miles tread "
Have always loved the word "shard" -- somehow, to me, it has a rawness to it. "The sea is in her mind." Another wonderful line.....wave upon wave of....?
Enjoyed this post very much!
I love the circular movement of this poem, jae, and the details in the description of the girl. I especially like the lines:
ReplyDelete'Pieces of glass stick in the sole
She picks them out
Places them on the counter top
As if each shard is a marker
A tally of miles tread;
'The sea is in her mind
It laps her eyelashes
Splendid
Trickling';
and
'She mops up the footprints
Considers the silence'.