Three Poemsby Rosemary Dunn Moeller: Body Piercing, Resistance Strengthens, Aversion Reversed

Three Poems

by Rosemary Dunn Moeller

Body Piercing

When you wear the white identification bracelet,
and insertions hanging from sensitive genital tissue,
pierced hands, wrists,
arms, throat sore from tubes
pushed in and pulled out from
the gentle violation of orifices;

when there’re the incisions,
opened by blades, closed by needles sharper than the jokes
in get-well cards about indignities,
exams, unintended exhibitionism,

then you heal through pain,
discomfort,
aches,
until you discard
cards and balloons,
and a tumor,
a white bracelet.
A surgeon’s tattoo for a souvenir.

Resistance Strengthens

Displacement supports
with the assurance of buoyancy. I feel
capable and safe, even if it’s illusory.
I observe pond skaters, yellow bladderwort floating,
mostly on the surface.
Canoeing gives superficiality a good connotation.

Wave rhythms and wind currents cause waves
to resist the paddle. The leverage
of wood in my hand becomes a fulcrum,
swirls and vortex of a stroke, cooperative and
contrary simultaneously.
I’m in control and controlled,
coming and going for no purpose but
pleasure, sliding along with exertion
and effort. My shoulders
will ache, stiffen, strengthen.

I should be doing more of this and less of importance.
Canoe is a perfect shape and draw,
paddle smooth silk strength that I wish my arms had. And
kneeling feels right,
for a working, straining, balancing act.
Feet tucked under, back resting on bench,
knees on canoe wales and face forward.

Aversion Reversed

Flamingoes have red milk, not surprisingly,
made by both parents, interestingly.
Mammals don’t have the monopoly on milk.
This up sets my mammalian bond;
thought it was unique
to all mothers
who birth.
And I’ve never liked flamingoes,
pink and prissy footed steppers,
look fake, as falsely colored as blue carnations.
Now that we’ve something truly
special to me in common--
feeding milk to our young from our bodies--
I have to drag out my preconceived notions,
prejudices and preferences and re-evaluate.
My discrimination is faulty, my aversion an unfair bias.
I have to rethink my feelings,damn,
admit to cultural culpability. Damn.

Rosemary Dunn Moeller has had poems published in Patterson Literary Review, Rockhurst Review, Outposts of the Beyond, Broadkill Review, The Alembic and many others.She farms with her husband in the Dakotas. They've followed migrating birds to all seven continents. Nature writing is her preference.

Copyright 2015, © Rosemary Dunn Moeller. This work is protected under the U.S. copyright laws. It may not be reproduced, reprinted, reused, or altered without the expressed written permission of the author.