Custody

1.
Describe the lizard: she
was riding and he was not.

(would want to know: we were all present)

tail of blue points, back ridged
for riding to the park

of orange trees, wet paths, slate sky.
tail for presence and protection.

taken from the lake after bathing, on a leash.
when she got on top, she let him go.

2.

Fearless on the beast, she did the feeding, bathing
white backs, white stones, hill to cemetery.

(account for wrecks, to say the rift)

her son runs out
to say one thing

connects us: skin keeps blood inside.
he climbs the lizard, taking care

they ride, her hair not even

on fire, no wild woman:

riding the blue routine.

3.

To seek transparency
of skin, revealing miles

of river and the delta
through trees, loss of blue

loss of everything exposed,
her mind of trees.would cut

her hair but it doesn't matter
how she looks, pure present

for fearless: son will go
to meet him: father

will say, "Being with her is like taking
a box-lunch to a banquet."

("I am a failure as a father.")

will never recover."Let's pick
a theme song, put the top down, drive around the country:

fight crime, break hearts."
the son getting off, the son getting off

the beast while mother rides,
to greet father standing

at the meat counter, ordering sliced delicacies, imagining
the mother.says, "We met.You said

you were taking him to Florida.
I was in a panic, thinking I'd never
see him again."

she must let

(go.cleft.her son.)

regardless of the other

(impossible to disregard)

even when absent

4.

"I will stand out
in the rain.

you have only to say

'Hello, Mother, I am here now.'
then I will let you go and you

don't have to come back."

Heather Thomas

read the author's Bio and Working Notes

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