haugh

 (hɑːk; hɑːf; Scottish hɒx;)
n
1. (Physical Geography) dialect Scot and Northern English :
a low-lying often alluvial riverside meadow  [Old English healh 
corner of land; see hollow]
n                       (hɔ)
2. archaic a yard or close  [of unknown origin]
See also:
           haw         (colloquial interjection):
           singular element in the concatenate
           belly laugh of the fishwife
           her eyes shiny as tripe in the bowl
           as she contemplates impertinent
           questions from a salesman? suitor?
           standing moonfaced clutching
           crimp-stemmed gladiolas plucked
           from her own fucking garden
           whose petals are the reincarnated
           spirits of Slovenes who once milled
           the dusty lanes south of 10th Street.
           Her riant cri de cur, like a tongue-tied
           crow, goes up and out the back where
           her mutt momentarily stops his digging
           caroms down the alley where her son
           smiles as he hears her, fells a tree.
           She reaches out her prehensile toes
           and takes the long blade of flowers
           lifting the mute simp’s chapeaux off
           in the process, placing it on a tomato
           stake to her left where also hangs a tie
           and glasses, completing the scarecrow.
           Her sigh ushers him off her walk
           back to Venerable Flackville.
           All day she’s been trying to ladle a meal
           from the world’s abdomen, something
           worth cooking, her elbows and knuckles
           greased in the effort, but so far just gristle
           and weak stock.
           Inside, the jowl meat’s almost done.
           Inside, her familiar, her son, shelves of books
           the soup bone of her heart simmering marrow
           as her haw wends the narrows of alleys
           all the way to the river, become hummed
           oblation to the dreamers underneath.

Aaron Nell grew up and has lived in various corners of the Ohio River Valley since ever. He loves reading and listening to poetry. Aaron accompanies his singer-songwriter friends on various instruments and released an album of his own music last year. He co-facilitates community building workshops at the Plainfield Correctional Facility. New to Indianapolis, he is learning and savoring the richness of its arts community.

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