December 6, 2010

Ornamented Memory

(photograph by Sally Mann)
The brown bear, her first Christmas gift
was defenseless,
when with beet colored breath
Jane gnawed and shredded his skin.

Her cotton teeth closed over each grainy strand of stuffing
while her lips cracked over the texture of tears.

The December winds kicked noisely outside.
A small bag of rocks sat firm and small inside of her throat.

Lodged, locked, lonesome.

December 1, 2010

First of December

The wind whipped Jane's long hair
till it struck her cheekbones in fury

a thick thud that
drew blood.