Three Poems
Darren C. Demaree
EMILY AS BLOOD GRASS
The battle is beneath us, internal
& spread all over the lawn, registered
in our nature to be the simplest seed
& that scattering is what heartbeats
the rain to raise us from even the shallow
dirt in the back, where the dogs destroy
everything, never bring anything back
whole. If we believed that bird calls
were songs, we would not fear
their beaks, we would not attempt
to grow all over the property, to be
basic, free to overwhelm the land.
EMILY AS THE DIRECTION THE FLOCK IS HEADED
About The Writer
Darren C. Demaree is living in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children. He is the author of As We Refer to Our Bodies (Spring 2013) and Not For Art Nor Prayer (2014), both are forthcoming from 8th House Publishing House. He is the recipient of two Pushcart Prize nominations.
Raging together, I have known women that left
without reason. I have known many women
that left because I asked them to. Now, when I
see Emily, moving in the direction the flock is headed,
I complete the weather to confuse them all. I would
welcome them all back, if Emily stayed the longest.
EMILY AS LIT FROM BENEATH
Tower, I leap
& I leap into
the traffic
of your lashing
heaven,
the scissors
of your decision
to be mountain
& moving target.
In the valley,
beneath you,
I have friends
that are birds
that say you
are only a girl
& though I
believe them,
I believe
the shining
found you
for me to follow.