Crisscross

Crisscross the lines from mother to daughter

crisscross the lines raggedy zigzag in wide strokes

the mother the daughter crisscross their dull thoughts

crisscross their sharp thoughts ziggity zag the lines

crisscross their softening lines

crisscross the brown lines widening above the blue lines

crisscross the dog standing between the daughter and the mother

crisscross the daughter’s head falling back to see the mother crisscross

the mother’s chin falling forward to see the daughter ziggity zag

The dog’s head becomes the mother the dog becomes a horse ziggity ziggity

the horse bows his head into the mother’s skirt

crisscross the daughter wants to do the same

crisscross the daughter looks up at the mother crisscross

the mother looks through the horse at the daughter

crisscross the daughter waits for the mother to see her

crisscross the blue lines soften the mother crisscross

the daughter wants a soft mother

the mother wants a blurry daughter crisscross

The mother waits for the horse to look up

crisscross the horse can see and be the mother

crisscross the daughter knows the dog loves her crisscross

the daughter wonders if she’ll be a son crisscross

like the dog became the horse crisscross

the daughter misses the dog and the mother

crisscross the mother is a horse away from the daughter crisscross

the daughter knows the mother is a horse crisscross

the horse softens the lines of the mother crisscross the daughter is not 
a horse

The daughter is not a son the daughter is a daughter who the mother sees and doesn’t see

when the horse is her skirt when the horse is her legs when the horse

crisscross is part daughter and part mother and part dog crisscross

the mother looks for herself when she looks for the daughter crisscross

the daughter looks for the mother not the horse or the dog or herself crisscross

the daughter will always be part of the mother

the mother will always be part of the daughter and the horse crisscross

crisscross the horse will always be part of the dog

the lines will move from one to the other ziggity zag

The mother’s lines crisscross the daughter’s lines crisscross

but they are never each other

the mother and the daughter are always separate

even when they are part of each other crisscross

they are always lines that end and begin ziggity ziggity

the horse and the dog are lines that end and begin too