The Test – A Poem by Ariel Duncan

Poetry by Ariel Duncan

What do you do
when something drops
and there’s blood inside?

For my little brother
I wish anything but this
except fear of dropping
the shell in with the egg
cooking it with the rest
and eating breakfast.

We have always been
tender-hearted
my mother said,
squirming in pain as
a specimen of ‘possum
slowed the rip roar
of a Ford station wagon.

We lacked her scientific
demeanor, we did.

Instead, for breakfast
I would fix him
persimmon, taunt with flavor
enough to drive the Israelites out
of Egypt
and back again
so the old people who left
and the old people who stayed
can laugh and tell stories of exile
on the porches where they were children.

About the Poet

Ariel is trained as a historian of science and works as a user researcher. This is the first poem she has ever shared with anyone, besides the one she wrote for her wonderful Latin teacher in 7th grade. She loves best the poetry of Yehuda Amichai, Abba Kovner and Anne Sexton