Cynthia Rowe
Fight or Flight
You are stretched, provoked to unload on your angel. Dire thoughts lurk in your throat in the aisle of the convenience store. You jolt at his hand, force the purloined pack back on the shelf – and your heart flips as your beloved begins to sob. You squirm while shoppers assess you as a bad mother, one whose concerns haul at the soul until capitulation gives way to a savage dread.
in the nettle patch barefoot children mutter in tongues the barbs of life not yet mastered
Your lamb is retreating now, pulling from the purveyor of care of the unconditional kind … no, not even tough love. Curiosity-etched faces reflect discomfort, so your mind forces you to make a getaway. In the dimness of distance, you placate his whimper and holster your feelings, blow a smile, heave a kiss, mull over the word . . . humanity.
About the Author
Cynthia Rowe is editor of Haiku Xpressions and a past president of the Australian Haiku Society. She has published eight novels and three poetry collections, including Stone Circles, winner of the Snapshot Press eChapbook Competition. Her Japanese genre poetry and other poetic forms have won many awards.