11/21/2020 POETRY: KATHLEEN MCCRACKENYOU HAVE TO LOVE THEM ENOUGH TO LET THEM BE WILD That’s what Steve said about the mustangs up on Pryor Mountain – no sugar cubes, no carrots no coaxing, stroking, gentling no whispering no ropes, no tires, no pick up trucks no dust storm swing low choppers no Judas horse no gathering, no holding pens no PZP, no freeze brand no breaking in, no putting down no auction block, no slaughterhouse no flank strap, no fast track no stockyard, no consignment no snaffles, bridles, saddles, spurs no blankets, shoes or blinders no rodeo, no latigo, no cincha no clipping, combing, currying no conchos, braids or bells no ranches, no reata no binder twine for breech births no ligatures, no doctoring of tears & rends & bites no vaccination, no inoculation no sterilization no intervention just bales & bales of air seep water, galleta grass the animal vegetable mineral earth exacting, punishing, available Kathleen McCracken is the author of eight collections of poetry including Blue Light, Bay and College (Penumbra Press, 1991), which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Poetry. A bilingual English/Portuguese edition of her poetry entitled Double Self Portrait with Mirror: New and Selected Poems, and featuring a preface by Medbh McGuckian, was published by the Brazilian press Editora Ex Machina in 2016. She is the recipient of several distinguished poetry prizes in Canada and Ireland, and has held Ontario Arts Council, Poetry Ireland and Northern Ireland Arts Council awards. Kathleen is currently Lecturer in Creative Writing and Contemporary Literature at Ulster University, Northern Ireland.
|
ISSN 2563-0067 © Copyright 2023 | Watch Your Head Contributors Sign up for our Newsletter Buy our print anthology Watch Your Head: Writers & Artists Respond to the Climate Crisis (Coach House Books, 2020). |