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Three Poems by Marjorie Appleman

Marjorie Appleman's poems have been widely published in literary magazines and anthologies, and her volume of poetry, Against Time, was published by the Birnham Wood Press. She is also a much produced playwright, with over sixty productions from coast to coast and abroad."Melting" first appeared in WOMEN ON WAR: International Writings, 1988.

SHOCK 9/11 | LEARNING MY ABC's| MELTING

SHOCK 9/11

Crash
Lightning
Behind the
Eyeball
Move
Want to
Move
Arm one
Two
Rip
Rip
Gone
Leg
Help
Before Before I
Hand
There
Finger Where
Is
Where
Am
How
Did
Sky
What
Why
Why

LEARNING MY ABC's

When I start my car each night
in the faculty lot,
I do it fast, hearing
that same conversation:

          "But you're too good a student to drop out like this.
          Don't you think you'll regret it?"

          "That doesn't matter. A new religion's
          a lot more important than books or me
          or you. Only the good will be saved, the rest
          will be blown away."

          "But who's to decide who is good?"

          "We will."

      He and I tip-toed like that, back and forth
      for an hour. I tried to splash reason over
      his passion. It was too cold
      and he opened the office door.

          "I'm sorry, I liked you
          and the class."

      I noticed his use of the past
      and tensed:

          "I'm sorry, too. I can't tell you
          how sorry I am."

      He went and I wondered,
      what did I teach him?

I turn the ignition key quickly, recalling
his last dark smile. The car and I
shiver together. I breathe.
It didn't happen.
Not this time.
When it does, in that final split second
before I crack into fire,
skyrocket, and
fall,
I'll know exactly how burned out and
black
he feels.
And he'll know I knew
when he sees them sweep up
my eyes,
blue and detached,
and my white and red
bits and
pieces.

MELTING

Too young, her family said.
too poor, said his.
The neighbors shook their heads.
(Don't they know
there's a war on?)
But they were together at last,
under their own roof.

They worked hard,
watched each other,
hid their fear, glancing
at the hot sky,
and wove
the beginnings of dreams.

At night
as leaves danced and stars fell,
they roused out of pure love
the energy to twine
and melt together.

They were found like that,
silent in sunlight
beneath the napalmed thatch,
melting together.

Copyright © 2005 by Marjorie Appleman. All rights reserved.

SHOCK 9/11 | LEARNING MY ABC's| MELTING

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