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