My body, my book

My body, my book
full of definitions
and scars made by me and my doctors
a medical dictionary
a family history; my mother’s nose and
daddy’s toes; gray hair runs in the family
and poor circulation.

My body, a crossword puzzle book,
all fits in bits of frustration
little squares with the weird unusual word
that only I can fill in
from my mute, my absorbing self.
My body, some assertions in broad open sentences
with clear subjects and active voice,
some chapters ending with questions
posed in ambiguities of time and place,
ellipses on a stained and mildewed page.

My body, limited edition,
receptacle of memories
friend, kin, and back then,
a reference volume.
Still in print.

celia h. miles

Celia Miles is a native of Western North Carolina and a recently retired English instructor at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. In addition to textbooks, short stories and poetry, she has published A Thyme for Love, a romance set on an herb farm near Asheville, and Mattie’s Girl: An Appalachian Childhood. A collection of short stories, On a Slant, will be available in June. Contact Celia at 253-1184 or celiahmiles@charter.net for ordering information.