Karen Hallenbeck-Sikorsky-George BS,RN
August 17th, 2006
Soft and lavender pink, touch my tongue, pseudo sweet, this cloud
On a stick of twirled paper, entices the clouds behind me billowing
Fat, full, pregnant with the light weight of moments to come, this
Landscape cannot remain, changing it moves with rapid force, we
Forget to stare, let it seep deep, in that blue cyanotic heart, that is
Lacking life, oxygen flows again into me, "breathe deep"
Tonight the angel sleeps, hand curled like a child
Tender fist unclasps as God takes her home, to a
Subtle yet safe place, this white room with no ceiling
Where all the sky points downward in loving caress
Still the carnival is in town, the rides are broken, worn chains strike
Fear in the crowd, who line up and the sweat stains mar their cotton
Shirts, as they wait for their turn to collide with the cold black asphalt
Neon lights shine, the synchronization of time and elements elapsed
Big Ben chimes an ocean away, in a foreign place where dainty drizzle
Settles like serenity on the skin of a newborn child, we hold hands
Skip a place in line, stare deeply into one another's
Eyes only to walk away, hand in hand, to the car
A ride to the desert plain where prairie dogs sleep
Predator coyote stalks the scent of blood, we wait
Old woman hobbles out to hang cotton shirts on the line, the faint odor
Of bleach sifts into the fresh morning air, arthritis tenders her aging joints
Pain is a day at a time, her apron was bright red, now faded to dull pink
The wings of her past gently lift her up, she hangs one clothes pin at a
Time feeling the kiss of her children on her weathered cheek, this is
Love at no cost, no pirate will rob you of this memory, embedded within...
Heart of gold (24 karat) is meshed within the chain link fence, prison bars
Stand forcibly tall, the sweat of former inmates sickens the inner wall of
A stomach filled with cheap carbohydrates, there is no life behind the
Wall of the chain, shackled with force, primed to "do it all over again"
Blame "me" as "he" can, and don't come back, find the humid shoreline
Quick fix, and the black night of the shoreline is dead still, "don't wait"
I like your words, coming from intellect, they are
Metered with faint sprinkles of emotion, at times
Your eyes allow entry, my child wants to come in
This storm is the final curtain call, (does he know)
The sun is creeping through a week of storms, asking for forgiveness
Clearance through the misty and heavy weighted clouds, there is simple
Joy in seeing the dry heat, for August spills the hope for fall nights
Wrapped under a down comforter, windows cracked, by noon the next
Day the summer heat returns, but the sun smaller by season, the light
Tinted with touches of blue, there is a place you might rest, come in
The boy wears his baseball cap backwards, wanting
Them to accept him, ask him over, he wants a friend
Mother died, father left, and Grandma is getting tired
She smiles with love, but she will sleep one day
Walking downtown, there are scattered memories of a time before the
"Boom," and the man with a tin cup died forty years ago, the town
Buried him for free, a simple stone marks his head, he is still living
Popcorn at the movie theater, high school couples on a Friday night
(Tell me more) and the chiffon painted lime green on her prom gown
He tries the "first kiss" and she giggles, a drink of bathtub gin...
Test the moon, it is bitterly full, burgeoning like a pregnant cow, the
Birth pains begin, and she shudders with full force as the contractions
Take her body by surprise, she moans, and life is filling her womb and
Leaving her weak, compromised, this entry into the fold of mankind
Beats the chimes of money in the pocket, milk and meat, as God
States the animals are but for the fitness of the sinners who populate
Earth as HE created it in seven days
Sunday the day of rest, and the fairy
Sprinkles dust in the eyes of Adam as
He desires more, and the brutality begins
The children are at recess, skipping rope, the boys play kick ball
Ruddy sun tanned skin, happy countenance, blue, brown, and black
Eyes dancing in merriment, their innocence is true, and they won't
Know the skate of the death walk, till Mommy and Daddy embed
Their heart with grey stone, and fear will be the catalyst to "not be"
What HE intended, oh dance in circles my heart, escape the fate
I board the jet, still talking on a cell phone
Flight attendant motions "to turn off phones"
Whisper I "good bye" and the un-maintained
Jet struggles to climb to 10,000 feet and an
Engine stops dead, a drop of 3,000 feet straight down, and the old
Woman will hang her clothes (no more), and the businessman seated
Next to her remembers briefly making love to his wife at dawn, and
The co-pilot is young, he barely shaves the peach fuzz off his chin
The desert beckons as the pumps become recklessly evident to all
Sitting on the left side as their windows crack, air pressure gone, explosion
Was it worth it, sweet opera singer play for me
High soprano solo, the song of ending, and my
Tongue traces the last vestige of cotton candy
Will you take me to the fair again?
I promise to go on the rides...I do...
