Vasculitis


Mary J. Mahoney

her elephant ankles shed skin
paint chips flaking off a house
the problem is in the vessels
to and from her heart

do you smoke do you need a dietitian
are your compression socks so tight
that they are hard to get on       oh lord
do I see an ulcer forming 

the foot pulse swims softly
rowing rowing for now                some days 

her toes turn blue they are like
van Gogh at night       monstrous
aching for dawn

 


Mary J. Mahoney has published poetry and prose in many literary venues, including The Paris Review, The Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, Witness, Colorado Review, DoubleTake and Sentence. She is the 2019 recipient of the Anne C. Barnhill Prize for Creative Nonfiction from Longridge Review. Find her at maryjmahoney.com.
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