On Rising, A Mother.
The house is full of arms and legs today.
I feel them expanding, taking their space,
I hear them lengthening and grasping –
the sound of ancient doors opening
and bones crackling with excitement
to reach ever world-ward.
In my dreams I am Alice, tiny, watching
as another Alice’s arms burst
through the windows, a head pops
through the roof, her feet plant, the house
rises, and with each step I get carried away
rattling around and bouncing off the walls
crying in my helplessness and wondering
what is next
10 thoughts on "On Rising, A Mother."
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I love that first stanza! I love the double Alice and the her arms bursting through the windows and popping through the roof. I’m here with for all the Alices.
thank you!
Love the ending, especially the question “what is next”. This has wonderful rhythm and pacing to it.
What striking images. Really enjoyed this. A kaleidoscope of Alice arms!
Anything Alice is fabulous, but this poem brings her to a new place. I love this little adventure you’ve gifted us.
Unexpected images and places you took us today.
Loving the way you and other poets feel…expansive…this year.
Really love this
“world-ward.”
And the wonderland confusion is fractal, so well rendered.
Not easy to do.
Great crafting and content.
Agree with what folks ahead of me say in seeing this gem.
Grabbed me at “The house is full of arms and legs today.
I feel them expanding, taking their space,”
and loved the framing around Alice.
a house full of arms and legs today
multiple Alice
dissociation
yet grounded.
love the directions in which you pull, Arwen
What an arresting image. I love the last two stanzas and also: “The house is full of arms and legs today.”