Big Sandy River, She Rises
Prestonsburg, 1958
In the murk
of my girlhood roo
let your thoughts swim
no longer.
Replace them
with these
dribbling words
under yonder river’s
lull. Come Mama
to where I dream
up goldenrods
and drift.
Make our bed
of rushed
water. Sink
your tired toes
into the coal
slurried silt
which mudded
that heavy morning
into my winter
dress, the one
you made, found
to hug my body
the one
you made, until
I was not
frightened, not lost.
Drown
your tired lungs
in Big Sandy
and I’ll breathe
for you again.
Beeper Peddle is a writer and healer living on the East Coast. She lives with her partner and their beloved soul puppy. Beeper writes about sorrows, lies, and deep loves. When you read her work, you will dip down into her heart and end up in all manner of body parts. Should you find yourself reflected in these words, it is merely coincidence; however, it does not surprise her you share the same heart. Find her at bethpeddle.com and @beeperpeddle on Twitter and Instagram
Megan Lynn Wilkinson is a poet, writing teacher, and cultural enthusiast from Ocean Springs, Mississippi. In her endeavors to convey humanity through language, she considers ideas of womanhood as they relate to environment, empowerment, and generational progression. Her poetry has appeared in Coastlines, Sheepshead Review, and Soliloquies Anthology.
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