poetry

Answers

“If the world were only pain and logic, who would want it?” Mary Oliver

The little girl taps my knee, pointing up,
“Look, Mel, it’s God.”
I bend my neck back, my face upward to geese winging in chevron formation
against the broken clouds and the sun’s rays, pale yellow.

I am stopped short
She sees God.
Can I?

I am no match for her 5-year-old hope.

And, I am certainly no match for this image
Of the geese, the girl,
and God in the rays of the sun.

I turn again to the sky,
Full of the questions that come to me mostly on spring days.


If Sylvia Plath Were a Valley Girl

Dad – I totally don’t get it.
I mean, when you kicked the bucket
I was way bummed.
I was thinking, “As if! Like, oh my God!”

So, I went to the mall
And met a bitchin’ version of you.
His name was Ted. He was totally awesome;
he was tubular.
And, so, like when he asked me to marry him, I said, “Fer Sure.”
But, I was sooo bummed
Because, dad, he turned out to
grody to the max, a classic barfbag.
Like you.

I thought about doing myself in
But, seriously, dad
I couldn’t kill myself without, like
Totally messing up my hair
Or my nails
Or my face
I mean, gag me with a spoon.

So, whatever, dude.
I’m totally over it. I’m through.