I Hope That You See Me
by Renée Paquin
Like apples
Fresh from a bath
All shiny and sleek
And blushing and red,
My hair wetted to my scalp like their polished skin,
And bite into me,
Devour my grainy crisp,
Savor the nectar on your lips.
Green even still,
(I hope that you see me),
When I am a sour-sweet Granny Smith,
You'll love me still, I hope
that you will
even the brown spots.
And swallow my seeds
Over and over
for multiples of seventy years,
And begin and begin;
Yes, swallow them,
All Adam, all Eve
And teach our soul
to taste our children
and they theirs,
So that they will see.
Upon Listening To Pearl, St. Patrick's Day 1999
by Renée Paquin
Janis Joplin has a chalky voice
Like nails clawing a blackboard.
And so it easily penetrates the ears,
Screeching to a stop at the drums,
And beating them with the powerful force
Of wind-burnt rhythms,
As her sore throat notes soar
Hoarse and humming as harmonica
Notes beaten against the walls and windows-
Winding, smooth, clean, and shining
Like scaling down the twisted stair railing
Out the front door to skid across scorching asphalt
In the middle of summer;
She sings, she rings like the sun scolds.