Jack In the Back Trunk
for D.B.A

i.
have I spoon fed you
or have I breastfed you
to your present strength and size and capabilities
poetically, artistically

bird in a nest or with a nest of tiny ones
regurgitating sustenance
out of itself, into its young
breast milk for baby, sap to suck, to sup on

she is nasty, unappreciative, it is time to move on

time to prop her up no longer, leave her to go on
whatever she has gathered, has gained, has learned

out on a limb, she must walk on her own and fly
or take flight or attempt to

she thinks she belongs among eagles already
thinks she is able to take to the sky

thinks she is able to fly among stars
fall like stars, rise like suns, like moons, like me

thinks she's a planet already
not just a plant I planted a week ago
watering still, pruning, grooming still

leaves and birds' wings, wings of butterflies
other insects and flower petals
all one family, all by one creator made

has she all her leaves, is she bushy enough yet
to place in the window
to advertise the business we're in
our little shop of horrors, our little store of roses

this and nothing more to sustain our lives,
our love affair

ii.
dash off a line or two, two or three words
to you I adore

worship and cuss you without end
upend you until
you lift your weight yourself
for us to do our business
to get our business done

without having to wrestle
without the contest loving you at times is

resist because I might push you too far
shove it too far
farther than you are able or prepared
to accommodate

God alone knows though what you are equip for
made you for my equipment, I am sure

like the jack in the back trunk of a car
and the bag of tools and wrenches

designed to fit the vehicle they come with
the nuts and bolts, the tire iron

made for each other on so many levels
in so many ways
spiritually, physically, intellectually

we get to try out the latter always
others to outpour in your tank
to have more and more to thank God for

iii.
what if she fell in
what if she falls in
what if this were true and not false
and she fell in love

no one- nothing to catch her but love
her big butt upon the horse back of love
to ride it through mid-air
will she join me eventually, walking on air

out of the blue, into love falling, fallen
when she thought she was beyond
such a weakness, when she assumed
she hadn't the strength to trust
to let life and what happens
happen to us and to herself

what if she fell in love out of the blue
into my beating heart, into my two arms

iv.
at times,
in some things,
in some ways
you are nearer 30

at other times, gears shifting
and you are 13 or 12

years younger than your actual 18
going on 19

you change ages like you change clothes

v.
late for SAT, 8 o'clock Saturday morning
no time for breakfast or to brush her teeth
no time to loose out her hair to fix it again

no time for anything
but to throw off and to throw on
what was nearest at hand

went out, she said, lookin' like
come here lem mur fix yur

my baby in need of fixing
know how she's able to fix herself up
doll herself up when time permits

recall that evening, off to NAGB
Philip and I kept waiting until she appeared

the door opened
and she revealing this and that
and here and there

upon her feet, a pair of shoes
with heels about 6 inches tall
straps across her two small feet
cover no more than slippers would

she was dressed to the nines
as the saying goes
what ever dressed to the nines means

test time though, time for SAT
just before 8 a.m., Saturday morning
and there wasn't even time for Eliot's

there will be time to prepare a face
to meet the faces that we meet
not even time to brush her teeth

washed sleep from her face, from her eyes
and off she ran, and off she went


© Obediah Michael smith, 2010
Written between 9:30 a.m.,
Friday, October 8 and 11:01 a.m.,
Sunday, October 10, 2010