Ranunculus
written by: Andrea E. Lodge
In my endless abyss of essences,
I am heliotropic.
While Dad holds a buttercup
under my tiny chin.
Was it meant to tell
if I was a sweetie,
or just let the world know
whether or not
I liked butter?
And I am poison.
Like the lead I smear across paper.
Paint chips in a child’s mouth.
Reflective bits of yellow,
cave dweller in the driveway
with an old margarine tub
collecting bits of what
could never be called rocks.
Then my hair stopped shining,
because age brings the darkness.
And I am diseased.
Air-borne with one of my essences
in one of my dimensions.
In 1916,
a little old man
walked through the field,
painted all the yellows,
glistening,
telling stories,
a shade of blue.
True story.
And I pick five whenever I see them,
and they die in my purse.
Andrea E. Lodge resides in Philadelphia with her husband and two disabled cats; Budgie, with only three legs, no tail and who is constantly drooling, and Loki, AKA Poki, AKA, Pokapotamus (because he weighs 20 pounds), a Scottish fold with only one folded ear. She studied English/Secondary Education at Holy Family University and taught middle and high school Writing and Literature after graduating. She is now a full-time Writer and something resembling an artist. She has had several poems featured on Spillwords, two pieces included in an anthology by Havik, several poems and some prose in different issues of Alien Buddha Press’ Feminist Agenda, The Alien Buddha’s Block Party: Blackout Poetry, Alien Buddha’s Zine #12 and Alien Buddha’s Zine #21, her poem, Screaming at Tiffany’s, was in the 12th issue of Voice of Eve magazine. She has also had some work featured in Danse Macabre’s Entrée DM 123 and DM 125: Fete de Noel. She has also been featured in the Winter edition of Soul Lit’s online ‘zine, 2019. As of late, Andrea has written reviews for the books Evocare (Ayo Gutierrez, Eileen Tabios, Brian Cain Aene) and The Tears I Never Told You (JinQue RD). Andrea has also edited The Tears I Never Told You and Are You Ready? (Ayo Gutierrez, Gigi D. Sunga, Ph.D.) She has most recently had her poetry featured in the anthology, Scentsibility, a book of poetry related to the senses.
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