Your shirts hang
in our closet
stoic and straight sleeved
exactly half way between
the floor and ceiling
reliable and calm
Against the wall
my bookshelf of poetry books
tipping over, not arranged by author
tabbed and dog-earred
and your great unread giants
Blake and Borges
I have put your books with mine
to steady them, fill in the holes
my clothing in the closet
spills over to your side
I am moving to the floor
flat like on the carpet
only better
it's cooler and
I can search the cracks
in the floorboards
for myself
pieces are there
they have fallen
I know it
I splay my arms out
like when I'm happy and they are
in the air
only now they are on the floor
sort of the same but
gravity is different here
more grounded
I need grounding
so here, on the floor
is where I will be
Swarovski crystals have been sewn
to my bedroom curtains
This is to repulse the vitriol
coming from under the bed
I will recuse myself from shape shifting
Lest we forget what this poem is about
Your heartbeat has been bandied about
the floorboards for much too long
It's time to stop being silently loquacious
it's time to become resplendent
Khadija Anderson returned in 2008 to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija's poetry has been published extensively in print and online and she reads frequently around Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, L.A. and her poem "Islam for Americans" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Comments (closed)
fictitious
2011-08-30 18:16:40
Such an eloquent way to speak of heavy topics. Thank you.
Lisa Starr
2012-02-14 16:30:02
Enjoy your Poems***
In Gratitude and Love,
Lisa