Emilie O'Brien
FIVE POEMS

Honey, I'm calling you
a Day   
Rhiza—root
red n. Tints of red include the following
a nagging bad habit.

About Emilie O'Brien

Honey, I’m calling you

There is a small fire
under my desk,
blackened now.

Thicker, fire
Roll, tongue


My mother started it.

—She
had vermouth on ice. We talked about abortion.  
Dirt under her fingernails from gardening.
anatomy : viburnum lantana

—in this way we made a meal, 
ate our words.

Big silver bangled -

Tangle.

Tangled.

a Day

in a wind-whipped field. Cheeks burning. Vast edges of song fly unaccompanied. Cutting sweet and raw on the nude morning. My father stands behind me. Great amounts of earth turned all around us. Later, we finish the scotch. Ephemera comes tumbling. Flowers splay garish and messy. Voluminous echoes of sentiment turned unappetizing, like leftovers from last night’s meal. Time ravels. Layers upon layers awake on the pillow. Turn your head to mine. I will kiss it before dreaming.

Rhiza—root

I am rhizomed by you
held down
a drink-to-my-hearts-content

Of surfaced rumblings :
they are only bolts of failure
ripples stretching outwards like ribbons

Prairie flatness contains even this –
sky, rock, dry yellow grass
bumpy terrain at closer inspection

You are truly my ground
I lie my belly down against you
will take the view from here

Air and dirt-truth
Nose and lungs fill up with it
cool dank worms and decay

weed (Wild Plant)
I will have you any day over
being rich and famous

red n. Tints of red include the following:

tangled in a closed room
red meat

red heartache,
red grief 

red intolerance,  red hunger,
red
lie 

red sorrow  
red storm 

red promise    
furor 
fruit,

ripe

thick drowned dirty red                                                                          
red neglect

red,
especially

Alice in red in winding markets -
light through leaves of a maple tree -
sharp embers in the autumn month

a nagging bad habit.

a habit.

Lets talk   you talk   a story. All dim
slowly, gently until
placid. relinquished.

thank you

wander now. drop the shadow.
it is no longer the News that matters.
We are standing in noontime light.

A forecast on the city: the cranes are tall,
they move gracefully. Replacement arms picking up.
 
Damn her habit - this sadness happens on a windy day.
Not so much a depression, just a gouge.
As if to fill it would be to admit.

EMILIE O'BRIEN's art practice includes writing, sculpture, painting and video work. She has exhibited locally and nationally, and is currently involved in an international collaboration with exhibits planned for Mexico and Canada. She holds a BFA from Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver B.C. In the summer of 2006, Emilie participated in a residency at The Banff Centre for the Arts exploring the theme of Art and Language. She works as a Fine Art Conservator in Vancouver.