Melanie Huston
Melanie Huston is a librarian, designer, coder and writer who began publishing poems at the end of her fourth decade. She makes her living in systems design and data science education. Originally from Chicago, she lives outside Washington, D.C.
The Stone of Sisyphus
In the dark, hisshoulders move with
his dream, make dances toslow music, soft in his head. He
leaks with sweat, is warmed withoutsunlight. His bruises mutely yellow and
heal. My old man carries an owl to Athens.He will show my shadow to the blind. He will
scrub my hide until I glint, like an opal, but today,once more, he’s forgotten my name. Tomorrow, he
will sing to me, slapping the gravel off his leathered arms.His eyes will take the incline of unreachable clouds. I wait here,
faithful, for the morning, mein Schatz . No matter—you can try again.
Wound Dehiscence, Ocean
The ocean presents for real-world studywith exposed abdominal slick,with undressed incision,bitter, bloodless wound dischargeand hyperthermia
The ocean presents for visual assessmentwith grey, thinning carapace,hair-like apprehensionsand folded, empty clawsunder spines as short as early teeth
The ocean presents with unexpected outcomesfollowing experimental treatment,fails to achieve wound closure,stores excess waste in cloudy fluidand swells from leaking veins
The ocean received inadequate post-operative careand was never told to avoid activitiesthat can increase internal pressure,such as movement, turbulence,atmospheric gas exchange, orcirculating a decade of grocery bagsbetween Brisbane and Newport
The ocean was never told which cleanser was bestto avoid infection and how often to scrub,or whether to use ointment, or vinegaror peroxide, was never told that ordinary woundsshould naturally heal, that each body strivesfor wholeness, not a wholeness bound with castsor sutures but with the full dimension of itself,with the quality of being unsubtractible, unsusceptible,a surface containingmultitudes
The ocean is cut drywith a scalpel
The ocean is left, openon the table
The ocean is cut drywith a scalpel
The ocean is left, openon the table
