unable to tell her your feelings towards transporting
fossil fuels along the columbia
and burning coal trains on tribal land
just saying i feel like a caged animal
find your peace she says
walk on the beach
hide in the dark brick
with blinds closed
open the windows at night
to let the stars in
secret breath of earth
come to me when no one’s around
Lisa Panepinto is the author of two poetry collections, On This Borrowed Bike (Three Rooms Press, 2013) and Island Dreams (Cabildo Press, 2009). Her writing has appeared in The Accompanist, Maintenant, Pittsburgh City Paper, Planet Drum, Red Flag Poetry, and more. She is poetry editor for Cabildo Quarterly, an online and print literary journal.
Talking to Your Mother