Memoria, Contorted (On Memorial Day, 2009, for the army brats I grew up with, many now in the military.

Because you know
better than anyone
that if forced to bite my tongue,
I will bite it off,
just to prove a point,

I'll give you my life.

And because
I somehow built this life from nothing
but freedom, rhythm, and air,
I hope you laugh. I want you to.
I want you to roar,
titter, giggle, whatever....

And when my stories hit a pitch of sadness,
hear them as something absurdly yours:
like eerie songs from a tree saw
played on a tiny stage
by a tattoed girl,
famous among her own
because
she winces so pretty
when the quivering saw teeth bite
the high notes just below
her skillful calloused thumbs.

See it all as something
you've earned: a cat-gut carnival
where nothing is smoke and mirrors,
except the lack of light.

Sarah M. Daugherty - WP Brat

Copyright May 2009 Used by permission all rights reserved