Clairvoyant

The double helix harmonic whir
of the throat singer—the only doublespeak
free of hypocrisy.

My mother smashes my wineglass
and reads the shards like tea leaves.

The winding dirt road of avoidance—
finally washed out, impassable. 

We fled the escalating violence 
of the violin, soared between branches
and reassigned all borders. 

One day we’ll swim through the subway tunnels
of our history and not reach the far bank,
not win the gold-plated prize of hollow stones.

The larvae she plucks from my mouth
harden in the light, knock 
against each other like marbles. 

The circle, in a fit of misguided empathy,
lets in even the myopic landlord.
Muy bien, muy bien! the sidewalk cheers,
roused at last from its dusty, waltz-free ennui. 

The glass fragments line up, 
sweep themselves into a pile
and reassemble into today.

—JENNIFER LOVEGROVE

(Originally published Christmas, 2011.)