In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

  • On the Fourth Day
  • Valentine Pierce (bio)

and on the fourth day the sun rose and my son called and my mother was alive

my mother is a hardheaded woman—doesn't listen they tell me I am hardheaded too and my daughter, my son; we joke—where did we get it from?

that old woman pissed me off told her to leave; my son called her at 12:30 in the morning, grandma, he said, you need to leave

but she is a stubborn old woman lived through camille, through betsy through all the ones that came in the days when the wetlands protected us, before the swamps were swallowed up by progress

that old woman scared her grandchildren— my daughter most of all, who said she didn't want to know until we knew

and when we knew my daughter said it was good because she was starting to get upset about it, starting to have problems with it [End Page 1404]

finally, we knew and we were happy, lord, so exceedingly happy, and angry with her in Arkansas and us everywhere but home

she said she was okay, being taken care of, didn't want for anything and I thought how funny— for the first time in her life my mother doesn't want for anything

I guess, at that moment, hearing her voice, I didn't want for anything either.

Valentine Pierce

Valentine Pierce is a poet, performance artist, journalist, and graphic designer, whose work has been published in a number of periodicals and anthologies, including Xavier Review, New Laurel Review, Aura Literary Review, and From a Bend in the River. Her journalistic work has been published in such newspapers as The Louisiana Weekly, Data News Weekly, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

...

pdf

Share