by Joanne Monte
Every ray of sunlight,
every grain of sand stings her skin,
basking her eyelids in shadow,
her hair in soft veils of dust.
Amid the unmarked boundaries,
and the ghostly routes of nomads,
her life evolves into every seed
of millet, every wind and sand dune.
Caravans drift into monotony,
the endless wait for her husband
to return, his skin stained with indigo,
salt, a ritual of bone, and milk.
The embryo sleeps in her womb—
sometimes for years—
and still her hands work through
the hours carrying buckets
of water, turning water into survival—
survival into a tribe.
Joanne Monte is a poet, novelist, and editor. Her poems have appeared in many literary journals, such as Poet Lore, Washington Square Review, and The Raintown Review, among others. In addition to receiving a Pushcart nomination, she is the recipient of numerous poetry awards, including the Bordighera Poetry Book Award for her collection of poems, entitled The Blue Light of Dawn.