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.