Whisper me
into the chambers
of bone,
honeycomb of marrow,
talisman
bleached,
rib of grey dove,
lattice of white rose,
cicada shell
clutching
stalk of wheat,
dragonfly
wing over
pavement,
twig
waiting
to snap.
Gabrielle Langley works as a licensed mental-health professional by day. To safeguard her own mental health, she writes poetry and dances Argentine tango by night. With numerous poetry awards, publications and honors, she has been featured in the Huffington Post and the Houston Chronicle as one of Houston’s important emerging poets. Her debut collection of poetry, Azaleas on Fire, was released in 2019.
“For the past twenty-five years, my research and practice has focused on the mental health of frail geriatric patients. I have worked with countless clients affected by severe osteoporosis, this surprisingly common illness which develops silently until a bone breaks. I have seen, firsthand, the devastating effects: the vertebral fractures, the hip fractures, the shattering of wrists and ankles, spontaneous fractures of all sorts. The first three lines of this poem came to me while I was lying on a DEXA-scan table during my own bone scan, listening to the quiet whir of the machine as it passed back and forth over my spine.”
4 thoughts on “Bone Loss”
Gabrielle’s poetry captures a feeling of reality about life’s events and situations. It is nice to read and reflect.
Gabrielle is my favorite poet! Her words come together to evoke strong emotions.
Beautiful!
Breathtaking! Among the finest poems I’ve read in this journal!