Susie Sweetland Garay’s most recent poem to appear here was “Listening” (August 2016)
Poverty Bend Road
By Susie Sweetland Garay
The curve of the road is like
the curve of a body,
each are equally
dangerous.
I do not drive slowly.
Our world contains so many worlds
so many sizes and shapes and pieces to put together,
each combinations creating something completely new.
As I move I understand that I have never been
more aware of my body, of how I feel
in it and who I am in it,
how it makes me what I am
it is so lovely and so capable
even in its imperfection.
We are not separate—
our connection is complete,
for the good and bad
and the salty
and sweet,
for those times I want to cry but can’t
for those whose bodies betrayed them
for how we can bathe one another in love
and intention and healing and light
and maybe things will turn out the way we thought they would
and maybe they will turn out so much better,
maybe a friend will still die
even though his wife is bringing his daughter into the world
maybe someone will still leave
and someone will still lie
and things will break and crack and decay
but from that detritus will rise something else
and we will love each other for as long as humanly possible
and the earth will love us long after that.
This is very affirming, timely, and beautiful. I always enjoy Susie’s poetry.