by Darci Walker
Inky newsprint perfume blackened fingers.
Tired eyes play hide and seek within columns of desires.
Fisherman throwing rusted hooks into dark waters. Hungry hope.
Wanted: Giver of Life. Picker upper of shoes.
The future flutters to life.
Slouchy couch cushions eat a broken crayon, a gold band.
Tired love steps on another lego land mind.
Pillowy couch cuddles, boys smell of soft dirt and shoes.
While a storm rages outside broken windows
Blowing soft blue eyelet fabric to beat against the glass.
A signature on dotted lines.
Her heart sighs, lovely annoyance. She picks up shoes. Again. Motherhood in a moment is gone.
Alone. A lonely rider on the roller coaster in a dark and empty carnival.
Around. Around. Around.
Clinging to memories of the park, full of laughter, lines of riders.
Sunlight falling on hotdogs and ice cream cones.
The plane flies into the sunlight morning.
Full of buzzcuts and brown boots and jackets swaddling chests heaving with uncried tears.
It steals boys and swallows up motherhood with growling jets.
While flowers delivered to her doorstep scream of mother’s love.
The orchid stem stands stately and bare.
Blood drops around its feet. A proud general surveying fallen soldiers.
Papery leathered hands tremor softly, reminder of years forgotten.
Fingers fight against soft envelopes carrying more grief.
Petals fall silently to the floor, the flower takes a final bow. A mother’s job complete.
White silk tissues softly wipe the earth’s tears.
The future flutters to sleep.
