Emmett, an introspective and quiet creature, a shadow
    Wandering the wetlands, a soul as sleek as a mink
Jessie, a mirror of many faces, the young barfly
    A mother of the contemporary world, the moderator
Virginia, Amazon warrioress standing proud and powerful
    Tied forever with her namesake, earth's wisdom
    And possessing earth's unchained, adventurous heart

Three children with youthful hearts, unblemished innocence
    Into their eyes we look and fall, back into memories
    Burning desires for our childhood and a chance
    For their wild flight from hostile cares, their unfettered freedom

Torn jeans and a jacket to match, comfortable and worn
    Young James Dean, waiting for the rebel years
Already the girls fall to his feet, seeking the crumbs
    Of success as they drop from the street-blinded star

It's nap time again, time for young lights to dim
    Revitalizing in the darkness of midday dreams
Unwilling to slip away, holding the covers tight
    Other forms around, asleep or almost there

The damage of the child could be clearly seen
    One eye, wide and drilling, boring in the psyche
The other dimmed and looking into other places
    Shadows that we cannot penetrate
No smile, but no grief, a resolve of sturdiness
    Only a glimpse of fleeting pain

Sunday sun streams in through wide windows, giving light
    To read the Funnies, lying atop the quilts of the bed
Intense scrutiny of the reports, delivered from a toon world
    The start of a beautiful day, reading with hazy morning eyes

The porch was built around the trees, retaining Nature's priority
    A naked Jessie leaned against the bark, hair wet, body prim
Thin, small form adding her self to Nature
    The bud, its petals still folded closed, waiting to open

The shallow river calm and slow flowing
    A boy afloat, mimicking the dead, Emmett wearing goggles
The closest thing to the womb, warm water buoying his body
    All day to dream day dreams, secure in all-surrounding embrace

Virginia sits at the feet of her third grandmother, feeling safe
    A heavy hand with thick fingers, long nails, rests on her head,
    Possessive
Thick, spotted legs of ancient life support the body of the child
The crutch for a new person, a steadfast love

Painted face and wandering eyes, fingers walking the wicker
    Of an old chair.  Ancient arm wrinkled by time's passing
A gander of the day's events, toothless mouth smiling with the
    Report of the quick tales

A hospital is rarely a happy place, where all the world's love
    Often is not enough to save one close to you.
    How can the pain
Of the young be fully expressed as
    Grandfather slips away
Emmett and Jessie hug themselves, facing the nakedness of mortality

What is in his face as he sits sideways in the white wire chair?
    Head resting in one hand as he looks at nothing, seeing everything
Thick hair low to the brow, shading his thoughts and ideas
    A tree and the river at his back, does he know that
    He has the power to shape the world?

It's hot, Southern heat permeates flesh, eliciting sweat, lazy
    Content to lie on a woven rug, eyes closed keeping company
With a dog equally troubled by the day. They give themselves
    To the mercies of the sun; sprawled, soaking in radiance

Child lying in the fallen leaves, dirty and mussed by play
    Oversized panties and boots too large, room for toes to wriggle
Soft loam and colonies of grass blades makes her bed as she lies
In time she will rise, in search of other places to play

In the night the blooms of the feather-petaled Cereus
    White in the gleam of the moon's soft glow
Two flowers hide her virgin breasts as the lips wax to full
    Blooms unfolding, crawling towards the light

Not so long out of womb and guarded now by protective body
    Hands folded about, an open cage to retreat to when days are hard
Protection given by family and friends
    Loin to loin, one will pass away as the other bears fruit

At Halloween the monsters come out to run and play
    Ghouls, goblins, Freddy and Jason turn trick and pranks
Who's that in the brown paper bag mask, hiding his face?
    A mystery man prowling the fields waiting for
    Unsuspecting bearers of candy

White hair long and flowing like the snow. Guardian angel
    Watching over the child sleeping beside her
Hands waiting to enfold and keep her charge safe
    Protecting against the dreams that would assail

Flour paste dry and cracking giving an impression of the grave
    The skin decaying and breaking away, falling to dust
The friendship bracelet wrapped about the ankle in a braid
    Paste follows the contours and curvatures of the leg

The squirrels in his hands squirmed, life in the carved wood
    Hollow eyes and stiff bodies give a look of the dead
Did Grandfather's skilled hands work the wonders of life
    Into the once feeling wood?
    Fond memories of a passed season

The child has fallen to the ground, her hair splayed as if floating
    In calmed waters where the mermaids keep and trust gentle sleep
Grass clippings and pine needles adorn her naked form
    Cool respite in green until the rising of the morn

There is a gash in the deer's throat, wide and gaping, eyes rolled
    Into the sockets of its head. The ballerina stood near
Blushing smile on her face as she posed delightfully
    A bucket sits near, holding the blood of the slain dear

In the last light of the day the dancers stood, he holding her
    The paint tattooed her chest and small nipples with stars
Last glimmer of sunlight falls, casting shadows on her face
    She has fallen quietly, willingly, into his Southern magics

Tawny hair surrounds her face, haloing. Bathing suit making a new skin.
    The traps are pulled up, crabs within scuttling, crawling
Standing on the bridge as the small lives are spent
    Siblings, friends stand together

Who made Jessie upset? War paint covering her body, eyes
    Dangerously narrow, predator. The arm she holds has
Puckered flesh, dental imprint of fury quickly spent, delivered
    White feather crosses her stomach, sign of anther's surrender

Chevrolet truck as old as time. Paint fading, rust prevailing
    The vanity plate declared it GORJUS. Mirrors, brushes,
Make-up littered the ground as the young women in their white dresses
    Endeavored at the experimental task to make themselves gorgeous

Charlie's Farm falls away, reaching to the horizon
    Open fields and prairie land, dreamscape and glittering lake
Emmett is set free as the wind tousles his hair
    Mouth open, in communion with the vision-laden air

Cabbage Patch dolls and baby strollers, a candy cigarette, sunglasses
    Young mothers with their charges, children with children
In dresses and barefoot, waiting for the husband's paycheck
    Too cool, attitude, carrying on with lives

Jessie's Cut vented blood that spilled, pooled beside her on the white linen
    Face masked by surgical gauze, all but one eye
Stitches at the temple, secured by thread, bare
    Eye closed, lashes long, as she lay, sleeping, healing, waiting

Virginia in the sun, covered by the wrinkled sheet
    A glimmer of glowing warmth rests upon her face
Mummified by the heat, the wrappings of the dead, preserved
    When the nap ends Virginia will rise from the dead

Pox mark and spot his back with bright red points, burns
    Illness, itch that cannot be touched, aggravance
Quarantine from family and friends during the suffering
    Waiting for the sickness to pass

Popsicle drips, drips, drips as it melts, licking tempo too slow to get it all
    Falls down the length of the body and sticks, sticky
Uncircumcised rod of life bears witness along with the taut flesh
    Washcloth and water to cleanse away the minor troubles of youth

Eyes dim, yet piercing, dark and telling of the experience befallen
    Hands touching, holding, keeping one another safe as the nose bleeds
Emmett tastes the blood as it flows across his mouth,
    Dribbles down his chin
    A thing to pass, passing soon, shared experience with a caring friend

Sisters give a kiss goodnight, flickering ghosts in the astral
    Coming together for but an instant to pass good wishes, love
Soon to be streaking apart again as the weariness creeps
    In the morning the sun may obliterate their shadowy forms

A day of excursions in the shallow river gives way to midday rest
    Leaning against the folded chair, enfolded by warming towel
Never seeing, never guessing the visitor come calling
    The crawling of the alligator's approach
Terrible by way of the dirt, loam and grime
    Captured during the explorations

Amazon, proving herself in the wilderness, not afraid to be dirty
    Walks strong and stands proud ready to meet
Any enigma that comes in passing

It happens to everyone at one time or another
    As our bodies have their own minds and wills when the brain
Respites for the passage of the moon
    A wet bed, outlined with crisp yellow stain
Never waking, knowing, caring at what the body has allowed
 
Muddy landscape and watery passage of the land
    Etchings in the earth. Two sticks crossed in the water, standing
Two sticks laughing, playing, jumping. Water babes in the environment
    Safe from harm, clean as mud puppies, enjoying the fun

Suspended, diving to the sky, floating from the end of the hook
    Eyes of others all around, none noticing the flyer
As she ascends to the heights, sweet smell of the cut hay
    Intoxicating dreams of a passing diva

Merchildren emerge from the placid stillness of the depths
    Hand in hand, cutting the waters, siblings, specters
Light of the moon extending to them, gifting graceful forms with silver
    In them is found a new creation

Dark, bronzed skin, cooked by the sun,
    Emmett standing at the lake shore
The white boy, creamy skin telling time away from Nature
    Dinosaur tattooed to his arm, a look on the boy's face as if
He has been caught doing something wrong, shy eyes

Candy cigarettes held loosely in the hand as the barfly
    Flashes her cool stare at you, daring you, taunting you
She wants you to come near and blows powdered sugar in your face

Sun dress shows tanned skin, smooth and unblemished
    Sally Mann, mother and artist, capturer of the unbridled spirit
    A gentile smile on her face, her beauty passed to her children
But Emmett got the last laugh as the rabbit crept up on her
Showing its ears from behind

The covers fold closed, taking us away from the
    Mountains of Virginia and life-sustaining lands
Behind us we leave the children, innocence and feral vibrancy
    Will we see them again? Watch them grow high?
I certainly hope so and with them go my love and best wishes
    Shadow, little mother, warrioress, I bid you well...