Megan Burns
A Memory of Bones
bones build the house
bones in the entryway
my father's in here
bones house the self
mother's in the attic
when the dogs come
long after Easter morning
a pile of bones resurrected
saved from the demolition
I can say nothing
that does not fly back home
single bone of the skull meshing together
in the first few months
heat of the day where a child won't wake up
my heart stutters within the rib cage
feel it deep in your bones
the weather of being human
what will you bring when you come
to rescue me?
an open hand
makes a nest of bones
water holds the bones
bones build the house
a lifetime
of memories
in a waterproof box
what will you choose to take out
when you go in, go under
when you come up for air
what is the first word you'll let
fly loose from the tongue
bone by bone the body constructed
rebuilt when broken
if set if set if set to take off
running
tiniest bones listening
the sound of something slipping
not even the body built to specification
once a bayou ran through here
here is the weakest point
a broken bone never truly mends
cries itself to sleep in the rain
who are your bones?
the house
empty playground
neck of the river
neutral ground
stand of trees
an alley behind
littered with plastic dishes
no death here was easy
there was no one to hear
bones shifting
in the home you will never leave
bones build the house
bones in the entryway
my father's in here
bones house the self
mother's in the attic
when the dogs come
long after Easter morning
a pile of bones resurrected
saved from the demolition
I can say nothing
that does not fly back home
single bone of the skull meshing together
in the first few months
heat of the day where a child won't wake up
my heart stutters within the rib cage
feel it deep in your bones
the weather of being human
what will you bring when you come
to rescue me?
an open hand
makes a nest of bones
water holds the bones
bones build the house
a lifetime
of memories
in a waterproof box
what will you choose to take out
when you go in, go under
when you come up for air
what is the first word you'll let
fly loose from the tongue
bone by bone the body constructed
rebuilt when broken
if set if set if set to take off
running
tiniest bones listening
the sound of something slipping
not even the body built to specification
once a bayou ran through here
here is the weakest point
a broken bone never truly mends
cries itself to sleep in the rain
who are your bones?
the house
empty playground
neck of the river
neutral ground
stand of trees
an alley behind
littered with plastic dishes
no death here was easy
there was no one to hear
bones shifting
in the home you will never leave
copyright 2007 Fear Knocks
photo courtesy
of Irene Yadao
of Irene Yadao
Megan Burns, editor of the poetry magazine Solid Quarter, has been published in the New Laurel Review, Callaloo, Brown Box, YAWP Journal, and Wild Strawberries. She has been published online at horseless press, shampoo, trope_5, Exquisite Corpse, and BigCityLit. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2004 by Slipstream Magazine. In 2004, she created and performed The Frida Show, a multimedia poetry play about the life of Frida Kahlo. Her chapbook, "Hago la Forma/ I am the poem" (Trembling Pillow Press, 2004) features selections from the play. She lives in New Orleans where she and her husband poet Dave Brinks run the 17 Poets! reading series. Please read her other poem, Family Album, in this issue!