Two Poems

by Cindy Rinne

Photo by 辰曦 on Unsplash

Sky River

Her body
broken
like the ceramic
shards of a doll.
Is there beauty
in the sharp
edges?

She reaches
for the sky.
Stars press
close. Cloud
People help
her fly. Pull.
Hold on.

She crouches and
covers her head
amidst a meteor
shower. Unfolds
and places
a star in front
of her face.
She transfers her
energy into
the mask.
Light flows.

First horse,
Celeria,
comes near.
They glide—
follow a fluid
ribbon in the sky.
Water pours
like ambient
sounds.
A ritual to put
her body
back together.

​

A Montage of Leaving

​I can eat chocolate alone but decide to invite Mary
for a picnic by the pond. I’ve known her a long time. 

I wake early and go to the corner store. Select
midnight swirl, maple crunch, and hazelnut. Silky

ganache, creamy pralines, dark chocolate raspberry-
filled artisan truffles. Rich, dark, and smooth.

Next, gather mint leaves from my garden to steep.
I bring a blanket and mint tea. We sit on the plaid

throw in stillness. Eat slowly. Melting, sweet, messy.
Sip the steaming tea. Moisture fogs my glasses. I’m

eating chocolates with a primitive spirit. Wild geese
honk and come near. We are not afraid. We laugh

over the hum of bees. She points out the blue irises.
I enjoy this last bite. Candy flows like a stream

in my mouth as it fades into the horizon. Melts
into a tide of quiet tears. It’s bitter that she’s

gone. Yet, I am grateful for the gift of seeing,
sensing about nature and life in her writings.

The first time I saw her read, she held the room
in silence. No dramatic performance. Few words

introduce each poem. Just the magical breath
of each syllable. Even the sad and difficult
 
were gentle. I was a new writer like the seeds
of a cocoa tree. I absorbed the nutrients

of her thoughts. Her poems watered me by soaking
into ripe soil. Filled my thirst. Now I say farewell.

---

Cindy Rinne creates fiber art and writes in San Bernardino, CA. A Pushcart nominee. Her poems have appeared in literary journals, anthologies, art exhibits, and dance performances. Author of: The Feather Ladder (Picture Show Press), Words Become Ashes: An Offering (Bamboo Dart Press), Today in the Forest with Toti O’Brien (Moonrise Press), and others. Her poetry appeared in: The Journal of Radical Wonder, Mythos Magazine, Verse-Virtual, and others. www.fiberverse.com