Cleave

by Grace Marie Grafton

Afternoon ends. Sun’s heat

has transformed, in the humidity,

into damp touch.

Thought stops. 

    Just breath now

and the blessed halo that sprinkler’s dervish

breaks over children’s skin. 

 I, the mother,

dip my hair right in. Rescue

of clear drops. 

   Lie on wet grass,

let my children pluck laughter from me.

How else teach them the idiom

that will save them

          as they grow

into knowledge that cleaves into shards

the beautiful ceramic world?

* * * * *

"Cleave" was first published in California Quarterly.

Grace Marie Grafton’s most recent book, Jester, was published by Hip Pocket Press. Six collections of her poetry have been published.  Her poems won first prize in the Soul Making contest (PEN women, San Francisco), in the annual Bellingham Review contest, and The National Women's Book Association, Honorable Mention from Anderbo and Sycamore Review, and have twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Ms. Grafton has taught for decades with CA Poets in the Schools, and has been awarded twelve CA Arts Council grants for her teaching programs. Recent poems appear in Sin Fronteras, The Cortland Review, Canary, CA Quarterly, Askew, Fifth Wednesday Journal, Basalt and Mezzo Cammin.