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First-Ever vox Poetry Contest 4th Runner-up: Fledgling


01.06.11 Posted in Contest 1, today's words by

Thank you to our guest judges Lisa Marie Basile (Caper Journal), Bryan Borland (Assaracus), Jessie Carty (Referential Magazine), and Brad Nelson (Eclectic Flash) for their tireless work in reading and ranking the 116 entries in the contest. They are the best and you should check out their publications! Much appreciation and admiration to all the writers who entered and congratulations to the winners who faced fierce competition.

First-Ever vox poetica Poetry Contest! Today’s Words 4th Runner-up:
Fledgling
By Paul Hostovsky

My training wheels lie in the grass
like legs. My father stands over them,
steadying the bicycle with one hand
while with the other he beckons
with a grimy finger. A Philips head
sticks in the earth beside the severed
pair. The whole scene looks like an amputation.
I will never walk again if I can help it–
as soon as I’ve learned how to fly. Flying
is a little like dying and a little
like being born. I mount the bike
which wobbles slightly in my father’s grip
the way the earth wobbles in the grip
of the late afternoon sun going down
behind the huddled houses. The bicycle seat
which is now a little higher than the sun,
and the handlebars which are approximately 
two stars, together from my north and south poles.
My spine is the prime meridian. My nose
sticks out over this small hill on top
of the world, sniffing the air for the bottom.



Mythology and memory come together in this poem about a perfect moment on the brink of independence.

Paul Hostovsky’s most recent poem to appear at vox poetica was Handle, part of Contributor Series 6: A Currency of Words.





2 Responses to “First-Ever vox Poetry Contest 4th Runner-up: Fledgling”

  1. You have recreated the excitement of riding that bike for the first time. In a lovely manner.

  2. bobbie troy says:

    I can see it. Lovely picture.

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