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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Fast Day 106 June 14 2009 {When My Head Was Like Seaweed Braids}


When My Head Was Like Seaweed Braids

When falls the rain, I join in, shrieking from my fear of heights;
and we bounce off the quilted hills, and tumble down
and run pell-mell to the lake, laughing
as only water-pals could!

When the fire-flies come out, I start up my motor and ardor
and burn the black sheets of night, chasing
all the girls and boys back to our glowing
marshmallow bon-fire!

When they go a-fishing, I call out: beware my finny friends!
Do not believe that meretricious bait!
It'll make you a deadly
trophy on a wall!

The river reflects the sun with a million mirrors
and each one tells a tale to my frantic eyes,
hanging out the car's window
panting from delight.

I did gossip with the crickets, and swapped many stories
with the buzzing bee; sat up drinking all night
with the merry, sodden lark who set
all top gallants to the wind

In high water I swam over the submerged county road
with the silver bass; we laughed at the tarmac
beneath us, from dust to dust
and water to water.

I held on for dear life when I split and cleaved the head
of grass when I was a lithe and silky seed!
From that blue-green height
I rappelled to earth!

In the city, I cannot bend and I cannot blow, I cannot freely fly
naked as a lightning bug; it's not where everyone can see
and know: there's that desire that - Lordy! -
makes him glow now!
It do make him glow!




notes:
top gallants to the wind = drunk, as in four sheets to the wind.

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