Tuesday, July 02, 2013

her life

late one evening she called me to say--

she would not allow him to take it from her
if anyone was going to take anything
it had to be her

her uncle's 38-special

she told of how the bluing had worn off
how she never unloaded the hollow points
how its annular edge of steel tasted of artesian waters

I know what hollow points do
she did not call to say goodbye

when we were younger 
we found a cavern beneath a field

coming up I caught her
she would have fallen forty feet

lost in grasses
she gave herself to me

dusk pinpricked with fireflies
warmth still lingering on rocks
I made her promise

that's why she called

asking
wanting
begging it back

western sky all bloody with light

No comments: