How she holds her head by Mary McCallum

for Christina      

Hell I believe is the carpark at Pak’nSave on a Saturday         
the lost souls -
all those hunched and bunched and loaded up somewhere
between
the trolley lane and the sliding door
devils? too many
shrieking for off-cuts of luncheon from the deli counter
angels? one

appeared in front of me once slipping between the Odyssey
and a Corolla
on her way to the entrance (someone sounded a horn)
insouciant
in jeans and a velvet singlet  and a flash - when she laughed –
a tongue stud
arms swinging unhurried and wide   nothing in her hands but rings
no child
no wallet   no cell phone  not a damned thing
and a back so
straight and strong you knew it could   without any
trouble
support a pair of wings
        
Published with the permission of Mary McCallum.

This Tuesday Poem is our last for 2010 and was part of a 'Secret Santa' where poets were paired together. Emma, our Web Editor was paired with Mary McCallum and chose this poem as a celebration of the everyday and in tribute to the quiet beauty that is often overlooked.