Thanks, Julie. I love that. Send it to Facebook. If you don't, I will. Mike On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 9:04 AM, Julie Krueger <juliereneb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > (Olds is such a fav of mine...) First Thanksgiving > > by Sharon > Olds,<http://www.elabs7.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=fj6,te1z,dv,i5be,b227,m9hw,l29c> > > When she comes back, from college, I will see > the skin of her upper arms, cool, > matte, glossy. She will hug me, my old > soupy chest against her breasts, > I will smell her hair! She will sleep in this apartment, > her sleep like an untamed, good object, > like a soul in a body. She came into my life the > second great arrival, after him, fresh > from the other world—which lay, from within him, > within me, Those nights, I fed her to sleep, > week after week, the moon rising, > and setting, and waxing—whirling, over the months, > in a slow blur, around our planet. > Now she doesn't need love like that, she has > had it. She will walk in glowing, we will talk, > and then, when she's fast asleep, I'll exult > to have her in that room again, > behind that door! As a child, I caught > bees, by the wings, and held them, some seconds, > looked into their wild faces, > listened to them sing, then tossed them back > into the air—I remember the moment the > arc of my toss swerved, and they entered > the corrected curve of their departure. > > "First Thanksgiving" by Sharon Olds, from *Strike Sparks: Selected Poems > 1980-2002*. © Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. Reprinted with permission > > > Julie Krueger > > >