Three

Three

for Oona, Brian and Jeremiah

You are like mustard seeds
that I wished upon after hip hop
angels whispered in my ear.

Never had a green thumb
just a red heart, and white filled
nipples that nourished you
into yourselves.

You are light, constant
willowing in my arms
I thought I'd never leave my night
never leave my night.

You are babes with mouths
that utter truths, I want to pull you
back into my womb
for that is when we danced.

You are gifts wrapped in a
mixture of hues from plantations
that tried to keep you from
coming over to this side.

You are amazing remains of my labor
I'll never work that hard again
never get paid
abundantly.

You are my stars. The one's
I wished upon at Girl Scout camp
somewhere between the can of "off"
and tie knots on logs that hold us
over broken waters.

(c) 2007-2009 Charlotte Young Bowens
This poem was published in Shenandoah's Fall 2008 issue

buried in boxes (poem)

He is a mountain-ness man. Looks
nice enough. I'm dressed anew and
extra pretty clean like the house
with freshly plaited hair.

I enter the front room marching
as if a church aisle. Momma and the man gaze
upon me, for I am "show and tell." Maybe special
I smile as practiced and shake vigorously.

Momma tugs the limp doll of me and demands
I say "hi" to the man named, this is
your father. I look for her, to him, to laugh perhaps
for him, to her, for signs of dream in sleep.

But you said he was dead. I thought you said he was ...
Words unleash the sunset of eyes, Momma pretends to chuckle
he groans, her legs uncross, her hand is swift
one palm covers my mouth now emptied.

Momma pats the non-existing wrinkles
of my polyester dress. this is your father lunges forward
hugs me hard, I hold hands collapsed at sides. I perch my chin
over his shoulder and consider my little brother's wallpaper
fingerprints.

Now a box fills his lap. A gift for this is your daughter. The next day
I look inside for answers. With every box thereafter I look inside
a search, a reason, something about why my Father has come back
to life and why he is gone
again.