FLICKER

The summers flicker past

with the thunder of horses running

across a mountain of memory

in a bowl of tumbled time.

A wry smile freeze-frames a face

of hazy gold, a voice or the sound

of the screen door slamming

behind the echoes of children laughing,

herself laughing, running,

flickering like the thunder

of horses running.

A flash in the dust

looking for hot springs

and a burning man

one more time for the road.

Author's Note

This poem is about one of those women who steal a part of your soul. Jamie Givens grew up on a large potato farm in Idaho. The men she know were tough and oblivious. Her tales of wrongs could cut you to the bone, but she survived wandering the American West, discovering hot springs to swoak in, and hot men to know for just a while. Sometimes she lived in her car, once in an old school bus with a parted-out Harley, and once with a guy who scissored her hair while she slept. There were cults and crazies, and all kinds of things that gave life to her heart and words. We met at a poetry reading where we were first-timers and became fast friends for a long time. I miss her tough wisdom.

Reviews

[Lorry]

Everyone should have a Jamie Givens type memory in their repertoire Vol. I've known a few that flicker like the thunder of horses running and even a few who have gave me a new hairstyle while I slept, but the least said about them, the better I'll sleep tonight! 😊
I knew the most beautiful girl in the long long ago, in the far far away, whose looks did not match her voice, which was similar to the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard, except without the warmth and cuddliness. 😊
For some reason I preferred her when she was asleep, at least until she dreamt I'd been cheating on me and blamed me for something she had dreamt and threw a case at me!
It was quite a shock I tell ya! I was expecting the boink-thwack-crash, but never expected the shock of the water being so cold! It woke me up almost instantly, before the concussion had time to send me back to sleep.
At least I think that's what happened. I woke up and she was gone, but I still have the scar to remind her 😊
I think about her all the time, which is a handy reminder to me even today, to check I've locked the doors and that's with me moving city since I knew her, but it's best to be careful. 😊

[Vol]

Dang, Lorry,
You knew my first wife? She sure got around!

[Lorry]

Ha! If it was she could get a part in the next shrek movie, with impersonating a Scots lass so well. A very grumpy Scots lass 😊

[Vol]

hahaha... they'll cut you long, and deep...