Tuesday Poem: How she holds her head

for Christina      

Hell I believe is the carpark at Pak’nSave on a Saturday         

the lost souls -

all those hunched and bunched and loaded up somewhere

between

the trolley lane and the sliding door

devils? too many

shrieking for off-cuts of luncheon from the deli counter

angels? one

appeared in front of me once slipping between the Odyssey

and a Corolla

on her way to the entrance (someone sounded a horn)

insouciant

in jeans and a velvet singlet  and a flash - when she laughed – 

a tongue stud

arms swinging unhurried and wide   nothing in her hands but rings

no child

no wallet   no cell phone  not a damned thing 

and a back so

straight and strong you knew it could   without any

trouble

support a pair of wings 

        

Mary McCallum

Click on the quill in the sidebar to get to the hub Tuesday Poem by a poet from Northern Ireland Michael Mckimm, and selected by Hinemoana Baker ... and 30 other Tuesday Poets in the live blog roll.