The Loss of Virginity

Extracted piece

This bald year,
this cold day
in the wind.
Noon hurts her eyes.

The torn awkwardness.
the mind goes round.
there’s a center
but never
any certainty.

Malleable moment.
breathing in a spring.
Experience.
the Maiden’s Death.

 

This is different from what I usually write. But I wanted to change the dark nature of the original piece, and infuse some freshness in it.

Thanks for the White Out Wednesday #8 Challenge

https://blackcatalleyblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/whiteout-wednesdays-8/

Cover pic: stuff.co.nz

 

Original piece

February Elegy by Mary Jo Bang
© Mary Jo Bang

This bald year, frozen now in February.
This cold day winging over the ugly
Imperfect horizon line,
So often a teeth line of ten buildings.
A red flag flapping
In the wind. An orange curtain is noon.
It all hurts her eyes. This curtain is so bright.
Here is what is noticeably true: sight.
The face that looks back from the side
Of the butter knife.
A torn-bread awkwardness.
The mind makes its daily pilgrimage
Through riff-raff moments. Then,
Back into the caprice case to dream
In a circle, a pony goes round.
The circle’s association: There’s a center
To almost everything but never
Any certainty. Nothing is
More malleable than a moment. We were
Only yesterday breathing in a sea.
Some summer sun
Asked us over and over we went. The sand was hot.
We were only yesterday tender hearted
Waiting. To be something.
A spring. And then someone says, Sit down,
We have a heart for you to forget. A mind to suffer
With. So, experience. So, the circus tent.
You, over there, you be the girl
In red sequins on the front of a card selling love.
You, over there, you, in black satin.
You be the Maiden’s Mister Death.