Writing
I'm a graduate of the MFA writing program at the California College of the Arts, but I've been writing for as long as I've known how to hold a pencil (seriously, I remember writing a letter to someone in scribbles that didn't even vaguely resemble words in pre-school). I write creative non-fiction occasionally, but poetry is my main focus, so I thought I'd include a few poems here. You can read more (and listen to recordings) by going to themelissalouise.tumblr.com or scrolling down to the feed at the bottom of the page.
selkie
no force -
i leapt freely
shed my skin
for you
they
want to see
the balancing act
i show you
real face
under whiskers,
hands
under flippers,
pale skin
under grey rubber
but that shell -
not just armor,
a bloody
skinning.
love the heart, but
love the ribcage, too.
iridovirus
1.
the bluer the better
2.
“they look pretty
but they are on their way
to being compost”
pulled in by
suffering
even when
i can't see
3.
how do you feel
about your name
turning in
to a disease?
oh you look
like a lapis bead
when you die
admired
for what
will kill you
4.
blue in your sides
and blue in the sea
your legs have changed
you are falling
apart
the color
of your first home
is that
homesickness?
shell on a shore
shell on a shore
only thing only place
i want to be.
shell on a shore
waves move over me
cold air doesn't
matter because
my skin is hard, i am not really
alive.
shell on a shore, always
warmed by the sun
when it comes
anyway.
shell on a shore
you pick up, put to
your ear and i transmit
the sound
you should already
be able to hear;
i am your conduit.
shell on a shore means i
am always home
always where
i belong
by water by salt by sky.
shell on a shore
means it doesn't
take much, take long
to be swallowed
by the sea
only place only thing
i want to be.
erode
oh, that
erosion
something true
stuck in
too deep
little grains
too tight
to separate
beat against me -
it's the only
way
eat the rocks
eat the thick hard rocks
eat them slow
rub salt
into my sides
hit hard
hit soft,
but hit
even the slightest touch
wears me down
tall face
sheer cliff
exposed
exposure breaks
exposure is
waves
wave down
stroke against
these open faces
rub down
rub down soft
scrub away
be patient
brush and soak
soak me down
wash off
i tell you
i want gentle
but gentle takes
so long
Tumblr Feed
Click through the feed below to read and listen to recordings of more of my writing on Tumblr!
You can also read a piece from my thesis written about the life and death of my nephew, Eythan, by clicking on the PDF below