Tuesday 13 December 2022

Five Poems by Nolcha Fox

 




Why did you look back?

 

Did you miss

the gossip of

the women 

doing wash?

Did you fear

you left 

the door wide

open by mistake?

Did you hear

the cat cry

out your name

and ask for food?

Your answer

is a secret

that you keep 

within the crystals

that deform you

from a woman

into salt.

 


Snow stars

 

melt under the weight

of empty apologies.

Bruised butterflies

cover lips

afraid to speak.

Children race 

down hallways

waving scissors and knives

to cut through the tension

that blocks all the doorways,

to cut themselves 

into paper hearts

to ease the pain.

 


Clouds blanket

 

the night sky,

put starlight to sleep,

but dreams put on

swim fins and jump

out the window

as light shatters

cloud banks,

to swim with

the mermaids

in pools of moonlight.

 


You send your hands

 

to shop for food

you hope she’ll eat.

You grab her mail,

her friends all dead,

the mail is junk.

 

You send your hands

to grasp the rail 

to her front door.

The paint flecks in

your palm, worn through

by rain, by heat.

 

You send your hands

to turn the key

to her front door.

The lights are off.

You find her cold

in bed, she’s with

her husband now.

 

You send your hands

to hug your mom,

and wipe the tears

you cannot stop.

They drench your face.

They fall, and fall,

and fall.

 


Pull yourself together

 

you’re not a colander of pasta 

laying limp, wanting butter,

wanting teeth.

 



Nolcha Fox - Nolcha’s poems have been published in Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Alien Buddha Zine, Medusa’s Kitchen, and others. Her three chapbooks are available on Amazon. Nominee for 2023 Best of The Net. Editor for Kiss My Poetry and for Open Arts Forum. Accidental interviewer/reviewer. Faker of fake news.

Website: 

https://bit.ly/3bT9tYu

“My Father’s Ghost Hates Cats” 

https://amzn.to/3uEKAqa

“The Big Unda”

https://amzn.to/3IxmJhY 

“How to Get Me Up in the Morning”

https://amzn.to/3RLDaKc

Twitter: 

@NolchaF

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/nolcha.fox/

 


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