To the Ashen Woman—

This litany poem is in response to the One Shoot Sunday poetry challenge hosted by One Stop Poetry. The photograph linked to in the title and to which the poem responds was taken by Fee Easton.

As always, feedback welcome.

* * * *

To the Ashen Woman—

To part your ashen
veil—

To slip into the eyes
you wear like a plea,

the eyes your soul
palms like the pair of

cast-off rosary beads
the coroner found

clenched in your fist
of a death and slapped

into your skull to fill out
the lids—

To spoon into the hollow
of your grave—

To bathe in the ash from
your soul's holocaust—

To sift for the arsonist's
smoldering joint—

To settle like seed into
elegy—

To wait for new fertility
to rend the ashen veil—

To slip into your eyes like
a plea—