by Rochelle Ratner
She's seventy years old. Her house is small, but with a large yard. She naps a lot during the day. She coughs sometimes. She has trouble breathing. She lies down in the shade of a tree behind the house. It's ninety degrees today, and she doesn't dare risk the sun. Still, she imagines light traveling through her body, stopping in her chest. Her chest is bright green and the light is transparent, flowing. She envisions it entering her veins. She imagines it healing her. The medication that she can't afford, she hopes. Or simply cool, clear water.
Rochelle Ratner's latest poetry books include Leads (Otoliths Press, 2007), Balancing Acts (Marsh Hawk Press, 2006), Beggars at the Wall (Ikon, 2006) and House and Home (Marsh Hawk Press, 2003). She is the author of fifteen previous poetry collections and two novels (Bobby’s Girl and The Lion’s Share) both published by Coffee House Press). More information and links to her writing on the Internet can be found on her homepage.