Poem of the Day: “The Cost of Finger Bone Painting” by Sierra July, Frequent Contributor & Poet of the Week

Songs of Eretz Poetry Review is pleased to present “The Cost of Finger Bone Painting” by Sierra July, a Songs of Eretz Frequent Contributor and this week’s Poet of the Week.  A biography of the poet may be found in our “About Our Editor & Frequent Contributors” section.

The Cost of Finger Bone Painting

Sierra July

They whisper the future, bones slung like dust,

shimmering glitter, collapsed top ‘nother,

on wrinkles of a black sand, morphing dislodged

phalanges into stars — Drawings that hum

constellations’ secrets snakeskin-thin seen

as hot ribbons by her truth tired eyes.

X marks the spot where she’ll beseech her successor

absorb naysayer drivel, spit it back

out, sport tradition humpback, speak finger

bones of Ladder monkeys popped from sockets

when they clamored too high; hoot triumphant

as they sprout replacement appendages.

Two bones steer together, longing to meet,

triangle born between. She frowns, casts bones

twice more, same result, twice and thrice, spelling

out in obsolete tongue: art’s death, monkey,

clan extinct due to unborn successor’s

deceptive grace with contrived chicken bones.

Poet’s Notes: This was to convey the beauty and mystery of old customs, and, unfortunately, how quickly they can end.