Friday, November 13, 2009

autoimmune


wesley denis

all things historical stay in my flesh toned
casket. where i move furniture
through empty rooms-
each glimmer the wink of a splinter
each splinter the brand of my kind.

my hand leaves five times
two. i awake and each finger
swollen in it's casing
calls Autoimmune! Arthritis! Multiple
Sclerosis!
in their fat backed piggy voices.

the silent pinpricks blood-let
( 0 was the man who began her
she added him over time )

here: how chaos theory
came to squall along the river-vein.
one fire for the free,
one fire for the caged:
one illuminates, one destroys.
i must make it with both.

now to the time moon clock
against my breast, or my lower intestine.
i am not afraid of these images.
i could have been a surgeon
or a pornographer.

( 0 was the man who carved her.
she whittled over time.)

maggie may ethridge
.
Elizabeth said...

"i could have been a surgeon or a pornographer"

brilliant lines

Anonymous said...

i love so much these words, last lines RIGHT EXACT!
keep doing magic!
muchos besos y abrazos
yolanda

Anonymous said...

i thing it´s so precise, concret, YES one of your best!!!

Irish Gumbo said...

Free, live free, no matter the circumstance.

i could have been a surgeon or a pornographer.

My vote for "Sentence of The Year".

jennifer said...

wow . . .

nicole said...

beautiful.

Ms. Moon said...

You know what, Maggie? Last night when I went to your site, the poem did not appear. Only the picture. So I commented on the picture but reading the poem, I realize that was stupid, what I said, and so let me say this now, after having read your poem- baby. Oh baby, baby, baby.
Words are your blood and your tongue and your fingers. You could have been this, you could have been that. You ARE a writer.

Happyflower said...

beautiful work, love it.

Melissa said...

so moving! i love it.

Sophie said...

great

Vodka Mom said...

unbelievable.

JP/deb said...

exquisite from start to finish...

hayley said...

incredible first line "all things historical stay in my flesh toned casket." love this... love the image along with it...

Petit fleur said...

My God woman. Nothing I say can describe how much I love feeling and reading the words you write.

Simply irresistible.

Love you to pieces,
xo pf

Phoenix said...

Beautiful, and haunting. Such an amazing poem from such a strong woman.

Thank you for sharing.

Mystic Thistle said...

This poem makes me think of my sister who has an autoimmune disease. I think you've helped me understand her even more than I thought I did. Wonderful writing.

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