Mary L. Slocum

Mary L. Slocum Poems

Mary L. Slocum Biography

Reads and writes in the Portland, Or. area One of 5 poets in Gaston, Oregon population 625 - a shipyard electrician for 17 years with a MSW now retired. The last winner of the Portland, Artquake competition in the 90’s. and a winner of Washington State Poetry Assn. humorous poetry competition in the 90’s. Has been published in Stanza, NW Literary Review, Upper Left Edge, Tradeswomen’s Network Newsletter, Black Cat, Portland Alliance and Carcenogenic. She enjoys reading more than publishing and has also appeared with a comedy collective. Presently working on a complete collection and some of which is on her website: www.maryslocum.com)

The Best Poem Of Mary L. Slocum

Going Back

Traveling to the marrow of my crawling
Learned to move, from genes my father gave
Away from a black hole family
Teaching inadequate feelings
How to lie eye to eye
Believing it yourself.
Traveling back to that Grandma
Hold the spoon place
Eating your gut from the inside out
Into the open wind blowing rain
To wash, wash, wash away
Corroded nails they drove
Through flailing appendages
Makes reaching out subside
Tetanus foaming at the mouth
And you travel toward this
Place of disappointment
The want always leaving you
Making you leave
And they wait for you
To come back so you can
Carry the garbage to the dump
Waiting for you through miles of ants
Dali dripping clocks
Ticking in your own bedroom
Calling you back
Like they call zombies
Back through the mirror
Over your shoulder
Through that glance
You can see the faces
Pushing through bone and skin
Back and back again.

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