RDP Tuesday: Cleanser

Photo A.M. Moscoso
Loretta Blackwill
had a very busy and complicated life.
She had wine to drink, poems to write, shoes to buy
and air to breathe.
Loretta Blackwill wasn’t sure about the science of her situation
but she was sure that there was not enough air to breathe
or Sunlight to soak
into her greedy and hungry ancient skin.
So she stole it from her lovers
from their wives, from their children
and pets and houseplants and anything else
that needed just a little air to breathe. Just a bit was all they needed.
But she needed so much more
then me or your or every single dog and cat and lawn or tree
that clung like crazy to the Earth when she breezed by and took it all in.
I don’t think she heard anyone beg for mercy, leave us a sip of air they said.
So one day we went out
and sailed across an ocean or maybe it was a lake. It could have been a river
I don’t know.
But halfway out, I had an idea and I pushed her in.
I don’t know if she took the air from the lungs of the fish
and the whales and the dolphins to breathe and I’m not sure I care
because there’s so much more air for us now
and an ocean of starving animals for her to feed.

Anne Packard
amazing! I love it!
Thank you!