Geode
Alicia Jo Rabins
The plagues we wished upon ourselves
With aloe juice and cayenne
The planets we strained to reach
That was how being young tasted
Each of us a geode looking to be cracked open
And to crack each other open
Over and over
I am no longer young except to those who are older
In the way that youth moves along
The conveyor belt
At a consistent distance
I drink water now
I try to be gentle
The years crack you open enough
About this poem
“This poem is from ‘Fruit Geode,’ a manuscript in progress that meditates on the experience of pregnancy, birth and early motherhood. As I grow older and life bangs me up a little bit, I learn how to be a little bit gentler toward others and toward myself. Much as I love and respect the wildness of youth, saying goodbye to that is the subject of this poem.” – Alicia Jo Rabins
About Alicia Jo Rabins
Alicia Jo Rabins is the author of “Divinity School” (Copper Canyon Press, 2015). She is a composer, performer and Torah teacher based in Portland, Ore.
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day@poets.org.
(c) 2015 Alicia Jo Rabins. Originally published by the Academy of American Poets, ww.poets.org. Distributed by King Features Syndicate
