word on the page
- word on the page
i
The word on the page won't be stillIt wants to be something even whenits written it wants to changelike metaphor with its infinite suitsand it doeschangetime and again a different reader peersin its windowto gawk or bridle at its mirrors and candlesticks,its bathing women, its gleaners in fieldsof morning glory, its aardvark, its strong men,its Sunday morning,its ingrained sense of duty or carelessness,its wood chuck in the grass,its soldiers poised for attack,its baby studying his handin its window wherethe painter stipples memory of an old man's winding bones,and there the lovers quarrel, a woman's hat sits just right ofthe saxophone bell that tollsthe night whilestars crowd into the open windowto listen to you read the wordsone by one
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your eyes move across the page and wordsdon't make sense like you do inthe abracadabra of meaningnow you have it now it's moved to Brooklynthe word moves youin its shimmery moonlight,in wool or polyester, it brings order to chaos.waiter!like the sound c# makeswhen you write it [End Page 38]
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the word on the page can't contain itselfit drives 18-wheelers or mini-coopers throughstop lights in small towns at 3am.it starts fights withcountries overgrown with hubrisit breaks on through to the other sideit falls into the soup like a drunken crouton orsun-chastened icaruswrite the word and see how it inches alongor flings caution like sweat as ittwo-steps on his toes or wondersat her choosing to hold it in her handsor put it in his mouthoh, to be eaten, roared, rasped, chanted,whispered, sung, prayedcan I have a word with you?the word doesn't want to be stillimagine it herecap in hand or hand on throatwaiting to be askedthen you take it upand and [End Page 39]
Hermine Pinson (hdpins@wm.edu), an Associate Professor of English at the College of William and Mary, has published three poetry collections: Ashe (1992), Mama Yetta and Other Poems (1999), and Dolores is Blue / Dolorez is Blues. She recorded the CD Changing the Changes in Poetry & Song (2006) in collaboration with Yusef Komunyakaa and Estella Conwill Majozo. Her poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in such publications as Callaloo, Verse, African American Review, Common Bonds: Stories by and About Modern Texas Women, Eyeball, Konch, MELUS, Paintbrush, and Forum for European Contributions in African American Studies. She recently coedited with Duriel Harris a special edition on poet Sterling Plump for Valley Voices. She has a short story in Richmond Noir and a nonfiction essay in Shaping Memories: Reflections of African American Women Writers.
