Crisscross

Crisscross the lines from mother to daughter
crisscross the lines raggedy zigzag in wide strokes
the mother the daughter crisscross their dull thoughts
crisscross their sharp thoughts ziggity zag the lines
crisscross their softening lines
crisscross the brown lines widening above the blue lines
crisscross the dog standing between the daughter and the mother
crisscross the daughter’s head falling back to see the mother crisscross
the mother’s chin falling forward to see the daughter ziggity zag
The dog’s head becomes the mother the dog becomes a horse ziggity ziggity
the horse bows his head into the mother’s skirt
crisscross the daughter wants to do the same
crisscross the daughter looks up at the mother crisscross
the mother looks through the horse at the daughter
crisscross the daughter waits for the mother to see her
crisscross the blue lines soften the mother crisscross
the daughter wants a soft mother
the mother wants a blurry daughter crisscross
The mother waits for the horse to look up
crisscross the horse can see and be the mother
crisscross the daughter knows the dog loves her crisscross
the daughter wonders if she’ll be a son crisscross
like the dog became the horse crisscross
the daughter misses the dog and the mother
crisscross the mother is a horse away from the daughter crisscross
the daughter knows the mother is a horse crisscross
the horse softens the lines of the mother crisscross the daughter is not a horse
The daughter is not a son the daughter is a daughter who the mother sees and doesn’t see
when the horse is her skirt when the horse is her legs when the horse
crisscross is part daughter and part mother and part dog crisscross
the mother looks for herself when she looks for the daughter crisscross
the daughter looks for the mother not the horse or the dog or herself crisscross
the daughter will always be part of the mother
the mother will always be part of the daughter and the horse crisscross
crisscross the horse will always be part of the dog
the lines will move from one to the other ziggity zag
the mother’s lines crisscross the daughter’s lines crisscross
but they are never each other
the mother and the daughter are always separate
even when they are part of each other crisscross
they are always lines that end and begin ziggity ziggity
the horse and the dog are lines that end and begin too

From Mobius, a manuscript in progress. First published in POETRY Magazine.