The Floating World

By beagarth on January 15, 2009 • ( 1 )

by Kelly Cressio-Moeller

I am still,

a crucifix on the gurney.

On the left, a nurse spears

my darting vein,

taking away my blood.

On the right, another pushes fog

through my bloodstream,

taking away my pain.

An instant swirling rush, recalling

windswept leaves

or the letting down of hair,

and I escape into the floating world:

a woodblock print. My hospital gown,

a white silk kimono

with wide diaphanous sleeves,

dips into the river. I pass under

the moon bridge CAT scan.

Two golden koi race underwater,

faster than the barbed stones

that tear through my kidney,

carving a print of their own.

Editorial Note: Kelly Cressio-Moeller will be reading at Thursday Gig, January 15th at the Stone Griffin Gallery in Campbell, CA. She will share the spotlight with poet Mary-Marcia Casoly and ceramic sculptor Bea Garth. For more info, see the article below.