Wearing lip gloss and tight jeans
Got an ear pierced
Watched movies
Shopped for school clothes
Sang in the bar with friends
over a pitcher of beer
************
I had never been that far north
Until a boyfriend invited me
A whirlwind road trip--a day up, and
A day back, his uncle proclaiming
(behind our backs)
That I would be the one for him
He was right
El Paso, Texas was my father's last Army post. I spent the last three years of my high school there, before heading east to college in Austin.
My husband is a native Ohioan. His home city of Cleveland so far from Dayton, yet still jarring to see his mourning state featured in the news.
This past week has pulled at the heartstrings connecting us to those places.
It's all a horror beyond words - how some value human life so little. Your verse describing your personal ties to these places is concise but mighty, Chris.
ReplyDeleteWe are all a mere heartbeat away from these tragedies. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteYour words created space for us to connect, feel, reflect. Perfect structure and word choice. And yes -- heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this connection - how these are real places. It is a beautiful poem, and I agree - so heart breaking.
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