Turtle Up

Turtle upturned
cracked shell
no way out

How much deeper
can the Turtle
retreat?

Under the sea
100 years of
collecting sand,
a shell is born

Inside a soft
creature
takes refuge

At the same time
A great beast
driven by drink

breaks my shell
and I am contained
within

floating

waiting, praying, working
toward regrowth
A.S. 12/30/10

A Few Weeks In

Pain robs me of sleep
palpating my aches
hurting my healing
ripping open my sleep
and knocking, no pounding
on my nerve centers
ice, pills when they let me
still it continues to scratch
no, thrash at me while
I lay, supine, two broken ankles
broken pelvis. Nurse yanking
and pulling me from side to side
she stuffs a plastic bed pan
change the chucks or wedge
ice into hard to reach places
I cry inwardly but ache until
tin tastes invade my essence.
12/17/09

Don't Take my Leg

Inside the Tulip, the red ones
is a black center
with yellow shining through
they open
I'm, no we are
not ready to lose a petal.
03/07/10

4 months In

Bad pen
knee protrudes
suture pokes it head through
thin skin
I am, no my bones are
walking on thin ice
my body and mind
a thawing lake
frozen for Winter
teardrops melting
the top layers
heat rising
sometimes with fury
grasping at slippery
edges desperate
not to go under
frozen forever
can't stop the melting
not a dream
those are quite
new to me again
the waking hours
a magnifying glass
aimed at my heart
my third eye waits
for rescue.
03/07/10

Shoulda been a tattoo

I feel like
an old shirt
kept at the
bottom of
your drawer
that you
don't want
anymore
but can't
throw out
A.S.
9/6/09

Seaweed behind the Ears, Longin fo da Beach

Barefoot through the thistle yo
Like Ceasar?
No, more like Cisarro

Kicks on fire
bustin out the blisters yo
ridin the tides

I'm Yemayah's daughter so
flippers to the side
Tails to the west

when I'm in water
I'm lovin every aspect
A.S.
8/23/09

First Digit

One knuckle
first digit pointer
to be exact

swollen craggy
like driftwood
I banged it I think

or maybe it's
arthritis
striking early

whatever it is
I type this now
with my middle finger

finally center stage
at last while poor pointer
watches from above

How hard it is
not to use you
especially in school

where I need to
coat you in oil
rely upon your agility

Shoulder moans in sympathy
listen while the haughty
forearm muscles balk

look at that crumpled digit
so swollen unable to heal
sending cryptic smoke signals

to that befuddled brain
ouch my finger what shall I do?
tape it, xray it, kiss it

do something you fool!
there is no finger prince
or pointer fairy

This reminds us of
the time when you fractured
your arm and failed to call 911

Well, maybe not as bone
curdlingly painful, but still
a cry for action

Ok I'll call the Doctor
better to know
sacrifice time to save a finger...
A.S.
8/17/09
12:24pm EST