I knew her when her
looks were sharp as knives
her body like a wolverine’s
compact, well muscled, ready for
a fight, whether on the playground
or (more legitimately) on
the court or diamond – years
have softened her, the blurry
photo shows her essential kindness
is more visible through flesh
Category Archives: PSIS
(169) mickie
dragonfly admires her trim beauty
blackbird loves her feathered hair
and sand her skin, coyote
learns a lesson from this
sly trickster, expert at enjoyments,
uncannily self-confident for an 8th
grader – didn’t want a baby
so took charge of contraception –
and why not, too much
fun awaiting, too soon old
(130) annie butterfly
mostly legs and coarse black
hair Mongolian cheekbones biscuit
skin strawberry lips a sunny
somewhat vacant smile vision of
her riding past us shocking bareback
at top speed red bandanna
on her head more wild
than any other child of god
last I heard a runaway
lost somewhere in LA
(116) cindy
older sister of the Fawn,
this one was more aligned
with Snake – diagnosed with
early signs of scoliosis, she did
nightly exercises that left her
with abdominal muscles whereby
her upper body could rise up
like a cobra’s, weave back
and forth until she hypnotized
you with her gutsy powers
(112) frank
Martin Timentwa, Born 1912, Monse,
Okanogan, Died October 1954, Monse,
Okanogan, age 42, spouse Jeanette
Narcisse, 11 Children; Loretta Ann
(the eighth) married Sonny Bigwolf,
had four children: Sonny Eveningstar,
Frank Buckskin, Alberta Rose,
and April J. – family saga of
a red-robed altar boy, fumbling
through a white girl’s wedding
(108) janice
I screwed up, I abdicated
my authority, I forgot who
was boss and my crew
mutinied, leaving me alone
to finish dishes after breakfast –
this girl, a woodland creature,
stepped forward like a fawn
from the shadows of her gloom
and helped me finish dishes,
not a word between us
(96) lillie
in my joy, I greeted
you like first snow, dancing
in your nightgown; in my
doubt, I lost touch with
you too early; in my
wish, I find you, visiting
Yakima or maybe Walla Walla;
in my myth, you are
a tribal sage, elevated with
a crown of apple blossoms