Of a Passerby Outside Cianfrani (Poem)

I saw her hair first.

Long, silver, hanging in waves put into motion by God.

I couldn’t have guessed what her face should look like, but when I saw it looking back over her shoulder, that smile and pointed nose seemed more natural than a sunrise in the morning. The crinkles next to her eyes had an effect opposite opposite of Time’s intention when that patient devil began slowly creating them.

Instead of suggesting her years, they attributed to giving her profile a look of childish mischief- a spark that is stomped out by adult fears (being responsible we call it) by the time most of us can no longer be called children.

Those wrinkles, those crinkles shadowed and hid her years, with the help of the light in her eye reflected, by the shining silver waves that adorned her face and hung down her back like the cape of a queen.

Comments

I'm Definitely in Texas

I'm currently in Georgetown. I just had a barista ask for my name, then ask me to repeat it, then create a completely new spelling. "MADILLAN." After YEARS of seeing the most creative efforts of the coffee industry, this 20-something-year-old still managed to impress me. But hey, i get it. My name is quite a handful. MADELEINE MCILHERAN doesn’t exactly sound like the name of a lullaby. Unfortunately, after having recorded this completely original name in sharpie on a plastic cup, he then thought to ask me how it was spelled. Luckily I have this part of the usual exchange down. "That's close enough." (I will miss seeing the correct spelling of my name regularly.)

Boy and His Boat

In Jardin du Mail- I used to walk here to read, but now I find myself going home the long way so I can stop by the fountain and clear my mind. It seems as if this boy of around 9 years old had the same idea, except he brought a toy boat instead of a book.

Ça Va Bien

Bonjour à tous, Much has changed, mostly due to the fact that I am now living in Angers, France. I will keep this brief- just know that I've had many wonderful conversations with people from an array of backgrounds, and plenty of time to myself. I feel as if I can now picture my future more clearly than ever before. I am now an aunt, I look forward to meeting my niece Eloise this summer. This April, I will be a published writer! Two of my pieces have been selected for publication. Be sure to buy a copy of the Sorin Oak Review 2016. ~To all who have prodded me into posting more frequently, thank you. I have decided to take your advice. -Madeleine xo

Madeleine McIlheran

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