It was the creak of a swingset
that you put together
one
two
three times
where I pumped my legs back and forth
reaching, reaching for the sky with my toes
guided by your gentle pushes against my back.
It was the blue plastic ropes twisted four times
that I held onto tightly,
eyes shut, hair whipping as I gained momentum;
Spinning, dizzy, trying to walk straight ahead
Avoiding acorns hidden beneath the grass
that threatened to bite at my fragile feet.
It was your reassuring grasp,
your giant hand
swallowing my tiny fist in a warmth
that let me know everything would be fine.
It was a place far away
in time and distance
that reeked of chlorine and burnt hot dogs
and a secret sadness behind too-big smiles
and forced laughter;
the last day was supposed to be better.
It was the velvety touch of the water on our skin
in the heat of a summer night
underneath the bug ridden lights
that illuminated our man made waves and
revealed bats flying like marionettes
against the backdrop of a midnight sky.
But it wasn't the days you cried,
pleading with red eyes,
your once confident hands now unsure,
quivering, unable to hold mine;
the days I had to convince you
everything was okay.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I felt like this was really powerful. I loved all of the little details, they really flowed well together and made it work. :) GOOD JOB.
ReplyDeleteMariahhh this is amazing. You do such a good job of bringing these images to life but you still create that distance so they feel like authentic memories.. it's so interesting the little sights and smells and feelings that, for some reason, stick in our minds about the past. I love "a secret sadness behind too-big smiles." so good. awesome job!
ReplyDeleteThis made me cry. There is something so sweet and vulnerable that you brought to life here in this moment Mariah. I feel like that is one of your gifts as a writer: your ability to scratch just below the surface through a small detail and convey both the sensory and the emotional. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMariah, darling, this is amazing! You are able to capture seemingly unimportant images and make them take on a more significant meaning. I absolutely loved "bug ridden lights
ReplyDeletethat illuminated our man made waves and
revealed bats flying like marionettes
against the backdrop of a midnight sky." What a great image. Amazing.
This was really amazing. Your details were so specific and sensory and it caught my attention. Nice job :]
ReplyDeleteOh my God, Mariah, this is simply amazing. This made me like want to cry, seriously, you painted pictures in my head that I like can't get out! So good, for real.
ReplyDeleteThe second time I read this, I noticed the contrast between the "it was your reassuring grasp" and "but it wasn't the days you cried". These are such simple phrases, but I feel like the images are stuffed with meaning and memory and purpose. I love it!
ReplyDeleteAll the details that run down through the poem work together and connect in such a cool way, I think this is one of my favorites Mariah good job.
ReplyDelete