Ryan Hurley
Things We Cut
umbilical cord, my mother’s kite string.
pine tree bark, the saw blade hungry for heat.
foreskin, our first offering, sin, sacrifice.
birthday cake, the sugar’s tragic reminder.
hair, this should be more difficult.
wrists, plump with fear.
bread loaf, thins slices of salvation.
wing tip, the caged animal’s final passport.
May 22, 2011 – The Day After “Judgment Day”
I cried myself to sleep last night,
the morning landed softly, light shone
through the dust that ain’t gone neither,
my prayers ain’t been workin these days,
my sins musta been too deep to be unearthed
from this hell, I knew ma and pa been waitin
for me, I hope they heard it’s been postponed,
I ain’t packed no clothes, just a plastic bag
with ma’s favorite dishrag, she loved this kitchen,
when I was little I’d swing from the big oak tree
out in the front yard, sometimes I’d catch
her eye from the kitchen window,
she’d smiled like I was her pride and joy,
she’d used to say “be careful up in that tree
honey, I ain’t ready to lose my only son to
gravity,” one time when I was much older
I fell from the second highest branch, right
on my back, I sat up and looked right over to
that window, expecting to see ma’s scared face
but that window’s been broken for almost
two years now, one day when I was boiling
sum water, a bird flew right into the glass,
I ran outside to see if it was alright, it was
a red bird, it laid still but looked like it was
going to be okay, I put its body on the highest
tree branch, so when it woke up it could just
fall and fly, I haven’t looked to see if it woke yet,
my pa buried our dog in the backyard, I packed his
pipe in the plastic bag too, if I know him he’s
been cranky without his tobacco all these years,
the sun is starting to go down, I’ll leave the plastic
bag on my nightstand tonight but take my shoes
off this time, the house is quiet and cold tonight,
I wonder if I should have buried that bird?
Ryan Hurley is a member of five National Poetry Slam teams from Wisconsin and has been featured in multiple national publications including The Progressive, Dream of a Nation and Positive Impact Magazine. Ryan is also an elected member of the Emerging Leaders Council with Americans for the Arts, the largest arts advocacy organization in Nation. Ryan is dedicated to using the arts and creativity for community development and engagement.
