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LILLI REINE - POEMS

7/3/2019

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While her mind returns to the water’s edge of her native eastern shore, Lilli Reine’s laptop keys click away in Ohio - in wait. Nearly three decades of mentoring young women, early years’ travels and her faith bolster her depository of thoughts and perspectives. Her poetry has been published in Vita Brevis.

​LITTLE WORLD CHAOS 

​ruby slippers
twinkling ‘neath dewy-eyed sweetie-pies
race
to the big top to face
grand master’s three rings
where lions and tigers and bears — oh my
take to the sky and tumble off trampolines
but who sees?
since nary a soul goes
to the flea bag show
and alift in his lofty balloon
ringmaster can’t spot man
in the moon ‘hind the green cheese curtain
lurking with slippery whispers
“lady alice apples my pretties,
pretty please?”
poison so sweet before bitter
the curtain molds in all its folds and dish
scores the cores while the rubies flee
in search of clever mad hatter
soon
cheshire cat bounds with silver spoon
but the hole isn’t found where the rubies fell thru
their heels click two—by two —by
two
begging to go ‘til mirror
says no, simply no room in the inn
where your ringmaster’s been
pretties please unearth your inner
peace here in our chaotic
race
to hearty queen’s tea party dinner
and the grand prize goes
to the winner
which shan’t ever
be you — or you — or
you

​LOVE CHILD 

​’36 the year of gone with the wind
a scarlet moment
a tiny seed
and maude became
a sacred broken strand
lux laundry soap and big diaper pins
rolled down bobby socks and rolled up sleeves
one retracted promise of another’s design
life was love and love was fined
from a robin’s egg roadking 
in her own scarlet show
she was no more
’44 the year of war gardens
maude became again
some elsewhere
and mother died here inside
legions of days she tilled and teared
she finally gave up, went on
2001 the year of mr. tito’s visit beyond

​RIGHT?

​Doors shut on the army green pick-up
he shifts into gear as he slides
his free hand on her leg
four inches too high
but little girls know
what’s right until
they’re told they didn’t
know what’s wrong all along.

​HUSH, HUSH 

​why?
he was titillating
shrewd and hoary
playful, droll, like her
 
and not like her
downy sweet swooned by that haggardy old tune
feathers caught in a bough of the hemlock tree
heart flitting like hummingbird wings
 
did he see?
tugging at bangs that curled too much
tiny toe tips, endlessly scuffed
petrified eyes as he came
                                    — again —
                        — again —
            — again --
 
why didn’t daddy stop it?
hush, hush little girl
we don’t mention those things

​BULLY

​went back to a place that shaped me
can’t see the house for the trees
memories rusted in my yard
i kick one by my rotted tire swing
its rope overhead hangs still
unholy frayed
my mind unearths the scattering that day
squealing girls race to my tree
like insects flee
their predator
my fence rattles
my mind pushes against the chain-links
he straddles
unnerved
i wield my threat like a bayonet
‘don’t do it’
a soft boy with something to prove
jumps to enemy soil
i strike like a garter snake coiled
 
i was the hero that day and he went away
 
i moved on
grander yard
stealthier schemes
he faced his fear
loosed my tire to my fallow ground
and ended his war
while he swung from my tree


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