Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Mary (sea of bitterness)

Mary (sea of bitterness)*


she was anger—
a constant state of “pissed off”

brought on by Nothing
brought on by Everything

& this was her wrestling with life
her drowning in all that she had to do

an irrefutable denial of what others said,
what others tried to make her be, feel, say;

it was her permanent mask
her shield of distaste & fidelity

& despite her committed role
her determined histrionics

we could see her eyes
looking out from behind that facade;

they were a young woman’s eyes
cautiously watching childhood, adulthood

and we tried to trust the eyes—
to ignore the shrill voice from her young mouth

bitter as an orange peel
hiding the sweetness of fruit

* -----. (2002, November). Mary (sea of bitterness). English Journal, 92 (2), 118.

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