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Poems from THE MOST WANTED
May. 15th, 2017 12:48 pmThe following are poems typed out from Jacquelyn Mitchard's excellent book THE MOST WANTED. The poems are by Sharron Singleton.
I have wanted to store copies of these poems for many years, but have never found a permanent home for them. This seems like as a good a place as any.
To Dillon For Our Wedding Day
Love is a season
for the migrant
heart to rest in.
Love is the wild
wind the heart
rides home on.
*****
Arlington
In some dumb wisdom your mama named
you, not after a person, but after a place.
Darling, you are all the lonely hometowns
in Texas, brown and sun-burnt, a little wild
a little sad. You are the high meadow
streaked with shadows of quick-moving clouds.
You are that narrow valley outside of town
where flowers bloom after a few drops of rain.
You are the place I am always moving toward,
the yellow light that spills from open
doorways, a darkened bedroom
with a dress thrown over the chair.
*****
Every bride
holds the future
in her mind
on her wedding night.
Here is the future
I want - enough
time to grow
ordinary and dull,
evenings
that settle
like moths,
you and I
on the porch stairs
in the dark, the glow
of your cigarette,
the smell of the first drops
of rain in the dust,
nothing to look forward to
but tomorrow
and the day
after that.
*****
The Sound of Bells
I'll always remember our first night
together, you so flushed and sky,
me knowing what I know but
scared too because you are the first one
I loved. We poured our loneliness
into each other and filled the emptiness
and dark corners of this place with joy.
Seeing you naked made me feel so tender.
I think of your long straight back,
your strong legs, see your hair on the pillow,
your dark eyes close, and say your name
over and over. Arlington. It is the sound of bells.
*****
The Terrain of Love
I thought love would be something so large
and bright I could not contain it, like an armful
of exploding firecrackers. I see now
that the terrain of love is small scale. There
are the fine golden hairs on the backs
of your hands, your voice as it thickens
when you say my name, your thumb
on the pulse of my throat, the day we first
stood together, not touching, just knowing.
*****
What's True
The hardest thing is to say what's true. You
aren't the first or the only but girl, when I think
of how you came to me, how your long dark hair
fell across my face, your skin rippled under
my hands, water-soft and water-cool, I am washed
clean, like Jesus said, and it seems to me
that if this is all I ever have, it is enough.
*****
Wind
This love sucks at me
like the Texas wind
that wants my clothes
that unbraids
my hair. It plucks
here and there
with strong fingers
pulls at the cords
of my wrists til
like a harp they
ache and sing
This love teases
unravels and loosens
til untucked
and love-struck
I open to you.
*****
Cell Dreams
Late at night: I am dreaming, something wind
pushes me along like a pebble in the path
of a dust devil, something unbroken in me -
or too much broken, crazed they say. My life
is a walk through an electrical storm - each hair
stands up, each cell is charged with this current;
there is nothing behind me and nothing ahead.
Later: cheap whiskey redemption scalds my throat,
brings peace in the night.
Later yet: headlights (now I'm dreaming
of you) and a thousand miles of highways, the night
juiced up with music - lonely cowboys, angel girls,
and death, a 2.00am country preacher,
testifying, rocking in the spirit (we have to),
stop at the motel, tear back the sheets, tumble
and tangle together, call out, "Oh,
Lord!" while above us stars burn
holes in the black night.
*****
Lullaby
Now I lay you down
my sweet, downy
head beneath my cheek,
to sleep your deep
and dreamless sleep.
The angels keep you
safe, I pray: my little one,
my Desiree,
and I will watch and I will wait
and rock this bough
that will not break.
No one will take
your soul this night.
I'm here.
*****
Chasing down more of Singleton's poetry, I find the following links:
https://www.sixfold.org/PoSum13/Singleton.html
http://streetlightmag.com/members/sharron/
http://www.rattle.com/ice-fishing-by-sharron-singleton/
http://richmondmagazine.com/news/winning-verse-03-25-2009/
https://rosinonmyfoil.wordpress.com/category/poems-i-like/sharon-singleton/
I have wanted to store copies of these poems for many years, but have never found a permanent home for them. This seems like as a good a place as any.
To Dillon For Our Wedding Day
Love is a season
for the migrant
heart to rest in.
Love is the wild
wind the heart
rides home on.
*****
Arlington
In some dumb wisdom your mama named
you, not after a person, but after a place.
Darling, you are all the lonely hometowns
in Texas, brown and sun-burnt, a little wild
a little sad. You are the high meadow
streaked with shadows of quick-moving clouds.
You are that narrow valley outside of town
where flowers bloom after a few drops of rain.
You are the place I am always moving toward,
the yellow light that spills from open
doorways, a darkened bedroom
with a dress thrown over the chair.
*****
Every bride
holds the future
in her mind
on her wedding night.
Here is the future
I want - enough
time to grow
ordinary and dull,
evenings
that settle
like moths,
you and I
on the porch stairs
in the dark, the glow
of your cigarette,
the smell of the first drops
of rain in the dust,
nothing to look forward to
but tomorrow
and the day
after that.
*****
The Sound of Bells
I'll always remember our first night
together, you so flushed and sky,
me knowing what I know but
scared too because you are the first one
I loved. We poured our loneliness
into each other and filled the emptiness
and dark corners of this place with joy.
Seeing you naked made me feel so tender.
I think of your long straight back,
your strong legs, see your hair on the pillow,
your dark eyes close, and say your name
over and over. Arlington. It is the sound of bells.
*****
The Terrain of Love
I thought love would be something so large
and bright I could not contain it, like an armful
of exploding firecrackers. I see now
that the terrain of love is small scale. There
are the fine golden hairs on the backs
of your hands, your voice as it thickens
when you say my name, your thumb
on the pulse of my throat, the day we first
stood together, not touching, just knowing.
*****
What's True
The hardest thing is to say what's true. You
aren't the first or the only but girl, when I think
of how you came to me, how your long dark hair
fell across my face, your skin rippled under
my hands, water-soft and water-cool, I am washed
clean, like Jesus said, and it seems to me
that if this is all I ever have, it is enough.
*****
Wind
This love sucks at me
like the Texas wind
that wants my clothes
that unbraids
my hair. It plucks
here and there
with strong fingers
pulls at the cords
of my wrists til
like a harp they
ache and sing
This love teases
unravels and loosens
til untucked
and love-struck
I open to you.
*****
Cell Dreams
Late at night: I am dreaming, something wind
pushes me along like a pebble in the path
of a dust devil, something unbroken in me -
or too much broken, crazed they say. My life
is a walk through an electrical storm - each hair
stands up, each cell is charged with this current;
there is nothing behind me and nothing ahead.
Later: cheap whiskey redemption scalds my throat,
brings peace in the night.
Later yet: headlights (now I'm dreaming
of you) and a thousand miles of highways, the night
juiced up with music - lonely cowboys, angel girls,
and death, a 2.00am country preacher,
testifying, rocking in the spirit (we have to),
stop at the motel, tear back the sheets, tumble
and tangle together, call out, "Oh,
Lord!" while above us stars burn
holes in the black night.
*****
Lullaby
Now I lay you down
my sweet, downy
head beneath my cheek,
to sleep your deep
and dreamless sleep.
The angels keep you
safe, I pray: my little one,
my Desiree,
and I will watch and I will wait
and rock this bough
that will not break.
No one will take
your soul this night.
I'm here.
*****
Chasing down more of Singleton's poetry, I find the following links:
https://www.sixfold.org/PoSum13/Singleton.html
http://streetlightmag.com/members/sharron/
http://www.rattle.com/ice-fishing-by-sharron-singleton/
http://richmondmagazine.com/news/winning-verse-03-25-2009/
https://rosinonmyfoil.wordpress.com/category/poems-i-like/sharon-singleton/
