Linda Rose Parkes
Mama God
Impossible now to gather her up, snatch her from fire,
bear her above water in the old way.
Her breasts almost level with mine, my pelvis straining
in the race, I can still hold her, rise up in rage
and indignation; at the least sign of disappointment,
threat, conjure the healing words.
My buttocks poised one inch higher than hers
I plait her hair, make her eat muesli.
Five years ago I sleep-walked to her bed
to have her coax me out of a bad dream.
At six she saw her father cry, knew how to rock him.
Already hostage to the Mama God,
she knew when he went on crying,
how to cradle.
bear her above water in the old way.
Her breasts almost level with mine, my pelvis straining
in the race, I can still hold her, rise up in rage
and indignation; at the least sign of disappointment,
threat, conjure the healing words.
My buttocks poised one inch higher than hers
I plait her hair, make her eat muesli.
Five years ago I sleep-walked to her bed
to have her coax me out of a bad dream.
At six she saw her father cry, knew how to rock him.
Already hostage to the Mama God,
she knew when he went on crying,
how to cradle.
Linda Rose Parkes lives in Jersey, is published in magazines and anthologies and has won various prizes such as Blue Nose Poet of the Year.
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magazine list
- Features
- zines
- 10th Muse
- 14
- Acumen
- Agenda
- Ambit
- Angel Exhaust
- ARTEMISpoetry
- Atlas
- Blithe Spirit
- Borderlines
- Brando's hat
- Brittle Star
- Candelabrum
- Cannon's Mouth, The
- Chroma
- Coffee House, The
- Dream Catcher
- Equinox
- Erbacce
- Fabric
- Fire
- Floating Bear, The
- French Literary Review, The
- Frogmore Papers, The
- Global Tapestry
- Grosseteste Review
- Homeless Diamonds
- Interpreter's House, The
- Iota
- Journal, The
- Lamport Court
- London Magazine, The
- Magma
- Matchbox
- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
- Moodswing
- Neon Highway
- New Welsh Review
- North, The
- Oasis
- Obsessed with pipework
- Orbis
- Oxford Poetry
- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
- Poetry Cornwall
- Poetry London
- Poetry London (1951)
- Poetry Nation
- Poetry Review, The
- Poetry Salzburg Review
- Poetry Scotland
- Poetry Wales
- Private Tutor
- Purple Patch
- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
- Smiths Knoll
- Smoke
- South
- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
- Tolling Elves
- Ugly Tree, The
- Weyfarers
- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The