mother's necklace

the ocean that courses
through my veins

responds to the call
of the moon

all night long
I count the beads

in Kali’s necklace
beads of blood of lamentation

Kali the black one
tongue of forbidden fire

beyond rot & stench
beyond burned earth & death

beyond time
beyond form

I count the beads
in Coatlicue’s necklace

Coatlicue
of the serpent skirt

mother of the gods
womb & grave

moon & stars
& war

her stridence & clamor
trumpets & hand drums

sound in the West
I count the beads

in the necklace of life and of death
eternity beyond form

I sit before Coatlicue & Kali
as each one rattles & shakes

her collected skulls
& plundered hearts

pain heartache & change
it was for these times

my mother left me
a necklace carved

of the small ivory branches
of her hands & feet

phalanges branching into roots
a filigree embedded

into the night sky
earth's womb

I count
the beads

of my mother’s necklace
all night long

delicacy & bone

& deep & bone

& absence & bone

& flame & bone

now

here

me

gone

all

one

strong medicine
for troubled times

my blood
flows

with the rose
sea salt she gave me

for all times
all time

ivory pearl cloud hurricane
& marrow that builds

the world

anew

at the light of dawn

Lorena Lobita Wolfman © 2010