All I Am Saying
Plus
She hated when I hid myself in oversized clothing. Choose leggings with sweaters, not XX-large loose-fitting pants, she said. Why are you trying to disappear? Why don’t you want to be seen?
I like the cloak of invisibility. No one can make fun of the empty space.
We Talked About Colors
I wear black, my uniform of choice. It’s slimming, I tell myself.
I cannot compete with a sunset. It looks good in anything.
Overwhelmed by this sight. Words wouldn’t form.
Thank g-d for cameras.
Elusive Sleep
I’m pulling an all-dayer in a desperate move to fall asleep tonight without a civil war. The hours spent fixing my pillows and fussing with my position are taking its toll. My dark eyes put a new spin on the phrase “carpet bagger.” I can’t function by day if nighttime is my enemy.
The Sound of Music
DANCING IN THE STREET is blasting in the backyard
and I imagine a street parade in my head,
People flipping out and shaking every body part
Turning to strangers and feeling
every note shoot electric joy in their veins
Let it fly. Let it loose. Let it free.
A dance party for the ages.
Yes. That’s what I want.
That’s All She Wrote
I want to know the secrets of people who know how to sleep. How does one get over the fear of dying during a dream? No sleeping pills. No medication. No meditation. I just need a normal, natural, easy way down to snoozing and snoring for a few hours. Preferably before midnight. No bathroom breaks. No nightmares. I don’t ask for much. Undo decades of bad night moves.
That’s all.
You Are Not Alone
Islands
Originally published in The Gates (1976)
O for God’s sake
they are connected
underneath
They look at each other
across the glittering sea
some keep a low profile
Some are cliffs
The bathers think
islands are separate like them
© Muriel Rukeyser
Let’s stay together.
Where Did You Go, Jonesy?
PAMELA ROSS WRITES 