Menopause by Holaday Mason


 
 
The pause of the blood, the not now

or ever impasse of womb, iron of emptiness,

the buried plasma roots of beginning,

the end of the eggs, the un-union of skin,

the played out tryst, the staunched

memory, stolen heirloom, scarred

slit wrist, the un-hatched, un-cried,

dried blown out wisp of smoke, the sealed eye,

silenced tome, floating black fish,

un-made unmade bed, the cessation

of red, the blank rivulet, the witch’s song

inside the deaf nest — ten young

drowning men in the surf. One on his belly,

a newborn clinging to his back, screaming.
 
 
 
Holaday Mason is the author of The Red Bowl: A Fable in Poems, (Red Hen Press 2016), The “She” Series: A Venice Correspondence (collaboration with Sarah Maclay, What Books Press, 016), Towards the Forest, 2007, Dissolve, 2011 (New River Press, University of Minnesota) & two chapbooks. “The Weaver’s Body”, was finalist with honorable mention for 2014 Dorset Prize & her chapbook “ Transparency” was finalist for the Snowbound 2015. Nominated for three Pushcarts, widely published in national journals including Poetry International, Spillway, Pool, American Poetry among others & she was co- editor of Echo 68, poetry editor of Mentalshoes.com. Holaday is also a fine art & portrait photographer focusing on intimate portraits showing the beauty of aging. She is a psychotherapist in private practice since 1996. www.holadaymason.com