I Stretched Poem by Donna Ialongo

i stretched, muscles inching to the
air, as i lay in the hill
of bloody poppies. i, too, looked and
fell into the rushing opium
of the stars, intent on livling in
grass. i forgot and soon
was forgotten.

my longing licked a million
grass tongues 'til i cried. i pleaded.
Lover, lover come.
draw me from the caterpillared hearts. i
have lilacs and lilies to
cling to your lips.
i will run in the seas of remembrance with
you.

i reached for his heart thru
windowed trees and doored
grass...he never came...
my tears fell like
loved-me, unloved-me daisies
to the swell of earth between my toes.

the squish-happy mud of summer
froze into rock and my feet
ran gory - like a wounded pomegranate with the
scratching. all grass stood straight for one
agonized moment shot shuddering
thru the heart.

gnawing their way, red-eyed worms
seethed and crawled
eating the life left in death.

convulsed, i watched
each poppy turn brown, then
black, then die in aphids.

i screamed. i turned.
my tearful hand tumbled into
his.
he stood, veins giving me back
truth. his eyelash swept clean my tears
... i wondered how i ever loved a poppy

(July 7,1965)