Malama MacNeil
Excerpt from The Book of Fi
included in KotaPress Poetry Anthology Volume 2, 2002
Diagnosis
they have drawn a line
across our book of days now
taken this child's young life
boldly, with finality,
inked out the days beyond
some point in time
as yet unfixed will be
her last
they have drawn their line
across our book of days
boldly with finality, said
here she will begin to fail
here lose all sight
or sense
move no more nor sing
nor care
as vision fades
confusion grows
fits take her
and the final darkness closes in
like the inking out of pages
on our calendar
of days
Author Bio
I am a native Californian, though I lived five years in community on the
south fork of the Shenandoah River in Virginia, and four years in Kailua
(Oahu), Hawaii. I've been married thirty years to Hasan; we have five
adult children and live now in Chico, California, where I care for our
middle daughter, Fiona, do hands-on healing work, and practice taijiquan.
I am currently developing a one-woman performance piece on the theme of
the transformative work of grieving which blends poetry, narrative, movement,
and exposition. I welcome responses. You can reach me at cloudhands@pacbell.net
