Poetry — November 21, 2011 14:19 — 0 Comments

This Myth – Rebecca Hoogs

This myth is about a girl lounging naked—
just another day in the glade—hoping
for her fifteen minutes of transformation.

In this myth, there is a special inhibition
for which men plant marigolds at highest noon
and not one wilts again and again. This myth

features whippets and an unnoticed rabbit perching
above them on a strangely sturdy flower.
Ok, now hold it. This is the moment of holding it

for what feels like forever. In this myth, Time
spaces on his date with Truth and she is always
never letting him forget it. Her face is unfinished

of tears. (You write about your personal mythology,
he said, greatly offending me. So I turned him into a tree
and cut him down and have been using him

as firewood ever since.) At the moment, this myth
could be any myth. In this myth, I hire some babies
to dress the place up with garlands. For a price,

they will also exterminate dragons. In this myth,
I live in a birdcage painted with foolish peacocks,
starlings, swallows and other emotions

too numerous to name.

Bio:

Rebecca Hoogs is the author of a chapbook, Grenade, and her poems have appeared in journals such as Poetry, AGNI, and Crazy- horse. She is the recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colo- ny and Artist Trust of Washington State. She won the 2010 South- east Review poetry prize for her poem “Miss Scarlett.” She received her M.F.A. in Poetry and an M.A. in English from the University of Washington. She is the Director of Education Programs and curator for the Poetry Series for Seattle Arts & Lectures.

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What am I?

Bioluminescent eye
That sees by the shine
Of its own light. Lies

Blind me. I am the seventh human sense
And my stepchild,
Consequence;

Scientists can't find me.

Januswise I make us men;
Glamour
Was my image then—

Remind me:

The awful fall up off all fours
From the forest
To the hours…

Tick, Tock: Divine me.

-- Richard Kenney