At Her Request
at her request
I write
she predicts imagery
of airplanes & women
he agrees
and now I have
proven them right
I have taken down the tree
thought of Jane
in the home she shared with Donald
how they lived in it together
and apart
both writing
inspired by each other
and what they saw
from their windows
I haven't taken in
my own windows themselves yet
to even go beyond them
but I can hear
the planes descending
coming home
arrival
there should always be
a garage band playing somewhere
when a plane lands
music that has roots, is grounded
at departure-opera
arias rising to the clouds
On New Year's Eve
I took a picture of the house
where Janis Joplin lived
in San Francisco, off the panhandle
I'm still not sure why
maybe when it is developed
I'll recognize something of her
see a strand of her hair
dripping down from the eaves
this poet's wine of late
has been Jameson whiskey
but he says, "Send me a poem,
I'm thirsty."
So I raise this glass
in the shape of a woman
dream of flying
to Texas or the Black Hills
to hear music that is grounded
to bring her closer still
grant her request
©2000 Lizzie Wann. All rights reserved