The Melting of Molly by Maria Thompson Davies
(an erasure poem)
Melting Molly
________________________
Twenty
and full –
and nobody
did anything for me
tying
up a dancing, frolicking
colt of a girl
with a ponderous bridle –
God
didn’t see me, and not caring
what happened to me
in this world
He
put me out
for contempt
of court.
The
town didn’t
mean anything by
chastening my spirit –
of
that, I feel sure.
It settled itself
here in a valley
a
few hundreds of
years ago and has been
clucking over its
affairs
ever since.
The houses set
back with their
wings
spread out and
mothers go on
hovering even to the third
generation.
Young, long-legged
boys scramble out
of the nests
and
decide to grow up –
where the crow
will be heard
by
the world
…
one
of them.
Love stanzas 1, 2, 3, and 11. Love the lines from “The houses set” to “generation.” So clever!
Thanks for the feedback, Katelyn! I may try editing some more with your suggestions in mind – could really tighten up the theme! I was thinking of the cousin I just lost and how she was ‘judged’ by certain members of the community, so this piece spoke to me!
I really like how the poem flows.
Thanks, psarvasy!! I appreciate the feedback – especially since the erasure poems can be tough to ‘get right’. I am reading other’s poetry today! Will comment soon! 🙂