POETRY THURSDAY

The Wish of the Brother with the Swan's Wing

As soon as the shirts touched them, the swan skins fell off,
and her brothers stood before her in the flesh. Only the
youngest was missing his left arm, and he had a swan's
wing on his shoulder instead.

--"THE SIX SWANS," THE BROTHERS GRIMM


To meet his left arm again.
To pick up pebbles and skip them.
To close ten fingers over a pearl
of great price. To wind the gold stem
of his watch. Or not wind it.
To stop time. To walk up and speak to her.
To play Chopin and move the minutes
to tears. To carve her name on a bench.
To lift her chin toward his mouth.
To dance with her, one hand at the small
of her back, the other clasping her fingers
lightly--they are so small, like the bones
of a bird! With his strong left hand,
to slip a gold band on her finger.
To throw off his shirt, blue as the asters,
that his sister wove from the wild stars
of the field. To be broken yet whole, a ring
of still water. To sleep with his bride
on the floor of a white boat as it floats
out to sea. To carry her on the water's
shoulders. To shelter her
under his wing.

--"IN THE SALT MARSH," NANCY WILLARD

(sohel, sohelart gallery)