TAMMY VITALE

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Wylde Woman-Dream Big, 9"T by Tammy Vitale $47

 Asp
    
by Tammy Vitale

Slither green scales
     hard across smooth
stone – soft under-
    belly hidden in dark
recesses.  Hiss only
     when necessary – no
warning enough
     to save foolish tres-
passers from themselves,
     their caressing hands
tender as cooked apples.
     Come, wrongly despised
messenger of Fate; curl
     between my fingers;
place your spirit, cold
     as raw gold, in the palm
of this Goddess
     who loves you.

(Untitled from the series “Tree of Life”)
     by Lucille Clifton

How are thou fallen from Heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning?   
Isaiah 14:12

oh where have you fallen to
son of the morning
beautiful lucifer
bringer of light
it is all shadow
in heaven without you
the cherubim sing
kaddish

    and even the
solitary brother
has risen from his seat
of stones     he is holding
they say     a wooden stick
and pointing toward
a garden

     light breaks
where no light was before
where no eye is prepared
to see
and animals rise up to walk
oh lucifer
what have you done

I have shared Lucille’s poetry before on Poetry Saturday.  I am reading about her life now, and rereading her work, so it is only natural I will share her some more.  One can’t get too much Lucille Clifton!

Wylde Women’s Wisdom

I don’t write out of what I know; I write out of what I wonder. I think most artists create art in order to explore, not to give the answers. Poetry and art are not about answers to me; they are about questions. Lucille Clifton

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