*
I abhorrently used femininity as an excuse to be lazy on the farm so I wouldn't have to pitch as much hay or manure as my brothers. But when they'd accuse me of not pulling my weight I'd dive into a task and hope that if they told my dad I'd be found up to my elbows in pig shit.
*
We used to graze our milk cows in the ditches to conserve pasture. Four hours a day, every day, all summer. If a cow crossed a broken down fence into the neighbours' and cut up her teats there was hell to pay. The sky was impossibly blue. The wind weathered our faces. The horse flies bit chunks out of our skin.
*
Hazel eyes sparkle –
squinting and grinning. Shaking hair like a mane. Strawberry stained lips,
cheeks, fingers. Small arms reach hugs and kisses, “Hi, Eena! Hi!” Shrill voice
patronizing yet so sweet. Chubby legs kick in delight. Gummy smile spilling
strawberry slop on last night’s pyjamas. Blue eyes crinkle. Bright sunshine in
the summer kitchen makes angels out of both. Sisters.
100 Words On Departures
In Darkness, sparrows and robins have begun loudly making
their daily plans as the mourning doves’ lament coos three part harmony in the moist
air. A thread of light is birthed in the east and the grey shroud begins to
evaporate exposing wells of colour beneath. Breath of dawn expands in the lungs
of birds, trees, sky. Old Man Moon, still bright, hides his visage behind the
trees as he makes a hasty escape. Clouds play an orchestra of purples, pinks,
gold across a firmament young and ancient. Immeasurable verve begins the dance
of the day. Unnoticed, night departs.
Ode to the Potty
O life of peace and
diapers depart from me!
Thou hast lulled me
into a stupor of simplicity and ease
Where I could come and
go at my whim,
Hours tediously
carefree.
But No more!
My life, now ever more
compelling, abounds in
bargains and careful
contemplation.
“To pee, or not to
pee,” before undertaking any endeavour:
This is the question.
Once unhappily
leisurely, days are now filled with puzzlement.
“Mommy! I’m DONE!” Lies
spurt forth like diarrhea
After gorging on
seafood entrees at a
Saskatchewan truck
stop.
Can I trust this tiny
tot’s emphatic pronouncements?
These are the riddles
that breathe life into
Previously uneventful
days.
I relent.
Wearily satisfied by
untruths
And receive the hearty
reward:
Soft and pungent
evidence of the dupe.
Foul words fall from
my lips like so much defecation
Spilling forth from
toddler’s shorts.
Time has been a villain
until now -
Permitting frivolity
and devil-may-care!
Now - O - potty
training
Thou induce order and
acuteness to this life of laxity!
Hemming in thoughts,
actions, and creativity;
Attuning the senses to
one small mortal in one small chamber.
Pray! Make me privy to
your secrets
As I contemplate this
discipline confined to
Education’s stool.
Potty - well of
wisdom, sharpener of focus, throne of patience,
Let not your lessons
be evacuated from my consciousness.
- Peace
