Where do words come from? And where do they go?
There are so many possibilities and on a rainy day
it’s worth following up on a few …
flew over paper
raised its head to lilt
through raised letters
and name new words
in its shout of flight
“briar, railroad
hijack, leather
niche, exemplar …”
cascading over
the spoken world
the poem wrapped glaciers
in white consonants
strained ciphers through sand
threaded rainbow vowels
about the neck of a woman
who washed breasts and thighs
in conjugated phrases
swallowed the poem
and became one
first published in the Canadian Writers’ Journal
The Willow Tree Girl for ages 7-11 … Weston doesn’t miss a beat as she untangles past and present, ghosts, missing treasure, and her heroine’s longing for success.