swimming pool algae
thick tiled walls green like fibrous
branches waving arms under water
stored up all winter now exposed
to spring air chemicals rust colored
swirling arcs of red dissolve
like the scab on my knuckles
chlorine sores on my father’s hands
broken nails my mother’s insistence
he needs a manicure the latex
gloves he wears in later years to keep
his fingers from drying out to stop the peeling
my mother’s worry green like blooming
like spring time like family like love
Alexandra McIntosh lives and writes in Kentucky, her favorite place in the world. Her debut book of poetry, Bowlfuls of Blue, is available from Assure Press. She received her B.A. from Asbury University, her M.A. in English from Northern Kentucky University, and her MFA in Poetry from Miami University. Her poetry and creative nonfiction can be found in publications including The Raw Art Review, Broad River Review, Allegory Ridge, River River Journal, and Griffel Magazine. You can find links to her publications and pictures of her dog on her website AlexandraMcIntosh.com.
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