THE WAY OF SAINT ANNE

If Anne had been born into a basket

not rolled across Canada into the arm

of someone so lonely

if Anne had had brothers, sisters

if Anne had had daughters

 -- Anyways, Anne finds her way to me

(silver oval in the wet laundry

mystical cheap French church trinket

thank you whoever washed clothes

before)

Anne had sons, and was a gremlin woman

who also spoke sophistication fickle

like a dinner flame

and hated that name,

Anne

keeper of:

lace makers lost articles carpenters childcare providers

people equestrians grandparents miners mothers moving house

old clothes dealer poverty pregnancy seamstresses stablemen

sterility teachers

lonely on the cruse ship, lonely in the cabin

lonely watching for rain or sewing herself

to the cushions

someone said I looked like her

and even though she was beautiful 

I took it as an insult – 

Anne would have done the same.