May 08 2013

Poem of the Day: Visit by Alicia Partnoy

Visit
by Alicia Partnoy

On Fridays Mama breaks through
the locks and gates
to play ring-around-the-rosy with you,
counting the minutes.
Papa, from far away
in his walled-in day,
dreams of your warm skin
and your numbered minutes.
If I could, dear child,
explain to you the reason
for all the locks,
for all the gates,
for all the bars,
for the high walls,
for all…all
the numbered minutes…
My child, if I could
devour space
and play ring-around-the-rosy
far from every prison…
oh we’d be playing free
and my hands
would lose all track of time…