Doug McHargue stands in front of the Fanjoy Labrenz work that inspired her poem at the September 17, 2016 Art of Poetry event.  The Art of Poetry gathers again at 2 pm, Saturday, December 3 at Hickory Museum of Art for a new tour of art through poetry.  It is free and open to the public, so please join us! Photo courtesy of Roger and Ginny Sanford.

Doug McHargue
TALL SPACE OF JULY
after “Untitled” by Fanjoy Labrenz

The hot afternoon
taken to the floor’s
cool level plane,
let the day beat
too many wings
flailing, striking walls
like a bird in a stifling cage,
but mother not ironing,
stretched out, arm across
brow, steam iron demons
dancing through her Julys,
through the room’s mirage
I barely see, listless eyes
and dreamy head filled
with sounds, the drone
of little T.V.s
the constant soap opera
the mahogany fan
lifting layer after layer
of heat from our bodies
to old ceilings that stir
it up, mix it up,
take it.