Seismic by Linda McQuarrie-Bowerman

Seismic
by Linda McQuarrie-Bowerman
 
My legs extend        bare and pale        branches 
sprouting from my body        firm        sinewed branches that I run
my hands over        feeling                all the little 
bumps and tags my fingertips         imagine        nest
upon my skin; my toenails                 gleam 
like shiny beads,              I notice
that the sun has left      the mark of thong straps        skinny v-shaped
white. Where I forgot to slip slop slap. 

I pull up my skirt               rest its hem 
against my waterline            a silent space 
of heat that speaks                  all language, makes
ignored demands,        grows 
wild it’s garden                while I wonder 
how this strong        and mucid valley 
made of only flesh        holds back 
its tide which ebbs           and flows 
not at the whim                    of a curio moon 
or pull of sun.        I am 
  the earth 
that opens up        cracks and splits 
from friction        on my edges, 
I shake                     with energy contained 
deep within my crust, I 

a vein of rock will stir 
        from just one touch 
            shift and shiver 
                tectonic plates alive 
with motion        pressure valve 
released to shudder 
   gasp and die. 

Hear Linda McQuarrie-Bowerman recite her poem on the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast:

I am a Poet living and writing in the beautiful coastal village of Lake Tabourie, New South Wales, Australia. I began writing ten years ago, briefly, and then lay down my pen until April 2021, when I rediscovered my poetic voice. I have no formal writing qualifications so I immerse myself in reading classic and modern Poets and participating in as many development courses as I can here in Australia and overseas. My home environment provides a never-ending source of inspiration for my poetry, as do my family, friends and of course my own life experiences. I write poetry every day to keep in touch with my inner muse and to ensure I never ever take for granted or waste the ability I have been blessed with to be able to express myself in such a wonderful art form.