omaha upside down

A native of Germany and resident of Palmer AK, Ki Woyke has lived through enough subzero winters and rainy summers in Alaska to not call herself a complete cheechako (a newcomer to Alaska; old-timers may call themselves sourdoughs). She holds an MA in American and Commonwealth literature and Islam studies and she teaches German at the University of Alaska in Anchorage during the fall and spring. Nature photography and writing take up most of her free time. She is particularly fascinated by textures in Alaska's diverse landscape and ice formations. You can read Ki's poetry here and you can catch a glimpse of her photos here.

omaha upside down
By Ki Woyke

my child's father's wife
the one he married
after putting us on ice
said to me
"when love happens it happens"
and then proceeded to tell me that
in the event of a terrorist attack
omaha would flip 
like a pancake
and everyone would be safe
and walking upside down
underground

my mind warped at the vision of upsidedownpeople in omaha
but it exhaled at the notion of inevitability
when it comes to love

as if love hits you like a cold virus
or a snow storm

is it really so?

decades later
my mind is still not sure whether
the lady in omaha had a point
for love does not happen to me
like bad weather
or bronchitis

what i do know, though
is that i wish i was in a place
where i could be certain
that
in the event of a terrorist attack
my town would flip
like a pancake
and we all would be safe
walking upside down
underground





Posted by Annmarie at 2/1/2012 11:27 PM
Categories: words to linger on
Tags: Ki Woyke Omaha love survival life
 

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