Letter to Minnehaha Creek: XI
Victoria Peterson-Hilleque The yard sign quotes Paul Wellstone, Politics is what we create by what we do, what we hope for, and what we dare to imagine. Huge dog puppet rests along the top of a station wagon. Eyes, nose and tongue hovering over the windshield. 8 ft. Lucy statue carries mugs of frothy root beer in the yard next door. How much did it cost? The last two years, Dorothy’s drugs were $1,000 a month. She did not think it was fair to those who live and die without enough. But she still took them, giving herself two more years to live. The ornery old man angrily rakes his leaves watching his dog come over to me out of the corner of his eye, he yells, Come here Charlie. ~~~~~ The large oak is surrounded by small branchy oaks I am glad for their company. So many have lost more than me. This is my pallet, grays, greens, browns, a few red berries. The sun hops off your surface, leaves behind this half moon. ~~~~~ Imagine freeing the stuffed animals in the laundry basket who press against the window and cry Release us. Imagine all the Christmas yard ornaments emigrate to Canada, the bear in the Santa hat leads the way. The hand-painted station wagon says Holy Jungle Burgers and Non-stop banjo. Let’s drive it all over the country until the peace signs create peace. |
About the author:
Victoria Peterson-Hilleque’s poems appeared or are forthcoming in Poetry Quarterly, Paper Nautilus, Apeiron Review, and other journals. She’s the Poet-In-Residence at Solomon’s Porch Church where she has taught a poetry workshop. She has an M.F.A. in creative writing from Hamline University and an M.A. In English from the University of St. Thomas. She lives in Minneapolis with her two adopted cats, two adopted kids, and a husband she picked up at a Bible study nearly two decades ago. |