It is my hope that you’ll read this poem in many different ways: as a series of short poems, as one longer poem, or even out of order, if it suits you. I found as I was revising that many of these lines and stanzas seemed interchangeable. And I myself had a difficult time choosing an order in which to present them to you.
i. dust in my eyes harvest in my bones to write a poem, i must begin with a poem: air meanwhile, the sun wrestles my soul of leaves i seek my own mystery on a forehead among foliage, living flesh, the finer instruments of understanding the fog is present a bird dives my eyes are smothered by salt these islands are revelations thick with juniper stars already, they cover you ii. this whole country pits the night against its shores forgets the secret origins of stars (the world is scorched and everyone believes it) with head and body i know it at this same naked hour i close my eyes my hands seek the world iii. a quieter silence a woman in her own vision is a symphony of experience a harmony within walls i won’t run from it my breasts are the scars of mountains echoes of sandpiper stars barrel and beloved ashes cover my senses like rain iv. of sea and wild song: a fraction of inconsistency the pen is the same; the words slowly grow different this mouth is transparent i am breeze and i am home where the dust settles miles away from my fulfillment
The Used Life 
12 responses to “The Secret Origins of Stars”
I appreciate that you suggested reading this many different ways. Doing so enhanced my reading experience, not that that is necessary with your writing style. I see several different scenes and stories that, if a movie, could be filmed and told from many different perspectives. I find those type of stories (and poems) most interesting.
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Thank you! Sometimes it’s difficult to find a true beginning and end to our narratives, poetic and otherwise. I am happy the suggestion to read this one differently helped. 🙂
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I agree. I routinely find myself moving passages or lines after writing a first draft. A fun part of the writing process. 😀
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It is, for sure. ☺️
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I love this…and I love that you can read each verse almost separately and yet, they all flow so beautifully together to make a whole. Stanza three is lovely and I can see it along side the artwork that you included. An instrument of music between a woman’s thighs, shaping notes with her hands of experience and held in her scarred breast…harmony found with nature, her natural ally. Well done.
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Thank you very much. That’s my favorite part, too, I think, and I appreciate that you’ve read it so intentionally.
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Depuis l’émergence des mouvements littéraires d’avant-garde et des théories critiques formalistes, il y a une tendance à considérer tout dans la réalité empirique et l’univers poeétique comme hautement structurés, comme l’est notre perception des deux. Mais contrairement aux textes modernistes, la poésie a actuellement tendance à rendre ces cadres structurels explicites, c’est pourquoi je penche vers la lecture normale de votre merveilleux poème, la lecture séquentielle du début à la fin. C’est pour mieux le savourer! 😉
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Merci, J. Moi aussi, je pense que je préfère le lire dans l’ordre. Mais il y a quelque chose de gratifiant à écrire un poème qui semble fluide et interchangeable. C’est une belle expérience de composition. 🙂
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Je pense la même chose que toi. Et deux personnes comme nous ne peuvent pas se tromper. Cheers! 🍻
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Haha definitely not! Cheers 🍻😉
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There are so many wonderful lines in this poem. And a dreamlike flow of poetic logic. I especially like the last stanza.
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Thank you very much!
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