Spring 2009

Table of Contents - Vol. V, No. 1

 

Poetry     Interview     Translations     Fiction     Book Reviews

Paula Ray

 

A cappella

Had I lost you as a girl,
kitten purrs and blushing giggles,
I would have hidden beneath the front porch,
knelt in the sand, been your loyal mangy pet,
watching for the sight of your boots on the stairs.

Had I lost you as your bride,
still innocent and dressed in lace,
I would have tossed my veil into the sea
and followed it to a watery grave,
been your sacrifice, your Juliet, your Ophelia.

Had I lost you as the mother of your child,
my milk would have grown sour,
the cradle been still , and our infant's cries
would have drowned in the deluge
of tears pouring from my selfish eyes.

Had I lost you as an old woman,
leaning on you for each step,
relying on your sense of direction
to help me find my way home,
I would have wandered into traffic,
or been swept beneath the bridge, homeless.

I lost you in my prime, when dreams of being a mother
had faded, when my legs had grown strong enough
to stand alone, when I could see myself beyond
a vessel or a womb, when my voice was full and clear,
able to carry our song a cappella with perfect timing.

 

© Paula Ray

 

            

Poetry     Interview     Translations     Fiction     Book Reviews

Website Copyright © 2009 by Loch Raven Review.

Copyright Notice and Terms of Use: This website contains copyrighted materials, including, but not limited to, text, photographs, and graphics. You may not use, copy, publish, upload, download, post to a bulletin board. or otherwise transmit, distribute, or modify any contents of this website in any way, except that you may download one copy of such contents on any single computer for your own personal non-commercial use, provided you do not alter or remove any copyright, poet, author, or artist attribution, or any other proprietary notices.