Where She Was Forgotten

Karla Clark


Now that everything’s in color folks claim they can finally see 
the blues          cherry-red notes on the march   

for tomorrow

may never          so we stretch yesterday 
across seven Rubbermaids     toss ’em in back for a rainy day 

tattoo each one with her name

this mourning’s running late     peering from behind
sunsets      waiting on boys      to notice    

the stretcher 

but boys busy settin’ fires          in driveway    
woman is buried     in memes

                                                                     we collect

the ashes     
                  in thoughts  
                  and     prayer hands   

burn it all down   to raise the phoenix    we feed it
her name    across seven days   it screeches   

                                                                               her

in an empty room 

we chant crowds    into space    but lack for survival
in a cluster of patrons   we fall     short of shooting

stars in ashtrays

before brunch   bottomless hipsters march on    
MLK    would say   these chicken tenders taste like

freedom rings
                       in one size    
                       suck it in    
                       or drop 

the weight     of her name     is too much
for boys                  so they leave her    

                                                                     for us

to carry