to run away, she plotted
her new, improved story.
SheĠd work as a waitress
in a diner across the mountains,
a small place where she could
count out her days in the smiles
of new-town strangers.
"More coffee?" she'd ask,
and a woman at the counter
would tell her life history
in spoonfuls.
And always the customer
at the counter
would share her own face, her own fears,
her specific longings,
and between the two of them
not many answers would appear.
Back in the days when she wanted
to run away, she called herself
new, improved names.
On Saturday she was Bijoux,
on Sunday Rosalinda.
On Monday she had to be herself
sitting in the crowded classroom,
alphabetically proper and insane
with desire to find solace.
On Thursday a substitute came,
and smiling, he unfurled a chart,
the anatomy of the universe,
mapped in poems, lyrical, political,
rivers of stanzas and forms,
words that were footprints
from the poets' hearts.
And in the poems she found home.
| -- | Nancy Taylor Day |
Alexander & Associates, Attorneys, is excited to be part of the central Austin community. We are here to help you resolve difficult family situations and protect your loved ones, personal assets & business interests. Our services include:
Divorce, child custody & visitation Contact Julie Alexander, attorney at law, to make an appointment and learn more about how we can help you. 1307 East 381/2 Street
(512) 478.9770
*Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
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