01.03.2021 Views

Windward Review

Volume 18, 2021

Volume 18, 2021

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Victoria Phillips<br />

Parsing<br />

(verb, gerund or present participle: parsing<br />

1.) to analyze into parts and describe syntactic roles.<br />

2.) to analyze into logical components, typically in order to test conformability.<br />

3.) to examine or analyze minutely.)<br />

I used to enjoy parsing ashes.<br />

Oh, what I thought could be freshened<br />

by many long licks of flame,<br />

and a kiss on the forehead during the fever.<br />

I’ve bent and broken universes<br />

and now have spotted hands.<br />

Don’t laugh! but a naked me, still standing,<br />

should leave quickly<br />

at the end.<br />

This little spark has wet her matches:<br />

my pocket holds thumbs, grey matter, and glue,<br />

and a terrible misconception of<br />

words like family and time.<br />

But, Oh!, my Fire-Girls<br />

of muddle and restitution,<br />

you cannot burn yourselves enough for them,<br />

not on any altar they will build you.<br />

For all this, they will not declare you clean.<br />

So hear me as I’m melting,<br />

and hear me before I’m gone,<br />

And buy your boots for climbing,<br />

for leaping, and to run,<br />

not for standing so damned long<br />

in the burn.<br />

Civility + You<br />

91

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!