Stephen & Demond – February 2012

Carol A. Stephen and Marlayna Demond traded writing and art. Marlayna shared this photograph with Carol:

In response, Carol wrote this poem:

In A Moment She’ll Unfurl

a slow uncurling
like a fiddlehead fern,
at each stretch of ligament
the numb tingle of possibilities
flowing back.  She’ll drink
the last sip of coffee, cold
as yesterday’s romance,
a happenstance, fat chance,
from first glance to last dance,
each of them always
out of step with the music.

If she just closes her eyes,
she could be Alice,
one pill to make her small.
She could slip through
a keyhole, a loophole in today –
(yes, just that small.)
She wants tomorrow’s sun, or
Thursday, a week from now,
a month, or maybe June.

* * * * *

Carol shared this poem with Marlayna:

Climbing the Pinch

We walk to the cabin
across the bawn,
past blasty boughs and crunnicks,
imagine the fires,
nourished to life by these dry sticks,
the hoppy wood stirring us awake
from late afternoon naps.
Our hair blows in the faffering wind
as we hurry home,
climb the pinch,
heads down against the glitter storm,
yet stop to wonder
at ice-candles weighing down branches
in the laurel rub
alongside the river in its lolly dress.
This chill skips us
quickly down the path,
drawn by the thought of the fire,
the hearth,
warm lassy mogs
and tea.

In response, Marlayna made this photograph: