POEMS: Halie Theoharides

At the Lake

gravel is stuck to my friend
and I can’t get it off
snails are stuck to my friend
binoculars are stuck to my friend
flowers and rocks are stuck to my friend
men chased us laughing and got stuck to my friend
my dear husband panicked and got stuck to my friend
lifeguards jumped in and got stuck to my friend
and noodles flailed and got stuck to my friend
I felt blame being stuck to my friend
and my friend felt quiet and used
a self help book got stuck to my friend
BE MORE LOVING got stuck to my friend
LET OTHERS LOVE YOU got stuck to my friend
I’m trying so hard I got stuck to my friend
but my husband divorced me
and in his place he stuck another man
 
12/04/14

I am trying not to see things but I see them
On the side of the dirt house I see them
I see oracles
In the steam from the kettle
A humid oracle
That makes my vision fuzzy
Like staring at wallpaper
Letting it hover
I was gentle
No I wasn’t
I saw something gentle
And wanted it
And then hated it
Oh smoke in my hair
Something quick
And soft and humane
An apology
A Voice in the other room
A cricket
A sheep eye
Moonlight near a quarry
And the boulders jutting out
And the wild things that loved me
And the oracles that waited for me
And how could I lose my tail
How could I lose it in the grass
And not go back for it

*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*

Halie Theoharides lives in Western Massachusetts and is the current managing editor of jubilat.

Submit a comment