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- 108 pages
- English
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About This Book
Birds don't fly with leads, says thirteen-year-old Avis when confronted by the limitations imposed on her at school. She has epilepsy and some of the teachers want to stop her participating in the sport she loves most. Susan Hawthorne captures the voice and longings of a child at the edge of self-realisation.
This collection draws on the experience of epilepsy mixed with imagination, mythic consciousness and an intense realisation of life.
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Yes, you can access Bird by Susan Hawthorne in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Poetry. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
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THE LANGUAGE IN MY TONGUE
Enigma
Every day there are
Pills on the tongue
In the morning and at night.
Pills on the tongue
In the morning and at night.
Learning to cope,
Eventually it comes againâ
Pillow wet, tongue bittenâ
Eventually it comes againâ
Pillow wet, tongue bittenâ
See the marks, the ridgesâ
Your teethâs tracks running
Evenly along one edgeâ
Your teethâs tracks running
Evenly along one edgeâ
Pockets of blood. Thereâs the
Interminable waiting; the
Living in the present,
Interminable waiting; the
Living in the present,
Each day wondering, and youâre
Pleased to have made it
So that tomorrow
Pleased to have made it
So that tomorrow
Youâll begin again. âWill it
Ever end?â you ask,
Pleading. Turning
Ever end?â you ask,
Pleading. Turning
Inward, you try to
Lead your mind another way,
Engaging in memoriesâ
Lead your mind another way,
Engaging in memoriesâ
Prefabricated, imagined
Since only seen by others. For
You they are still too clear
Since only seen by others. For
You they are still too clear
Even though you were not
Present in a sense.
Inside, you know that
Present in a sense.
Inside, you know that
Living, simply living,
Establishing a routine,
Presents obstacle upon obstacle.
Establishing a routine,
Presents obstacle upon obstacle.
Safety is one thing,
Your independence another.
Equilibrium, plenty of sleep,
Your independence another.
Equilibrium, plenty of sleep,
Patience, they all sayâ
Insensitive to your needs. Donât
Learn to drive, donât
Insensitive to your needs. Donât
Learn to drive, donât
Ever fly, or
Parachute, or scuba dive,
Since each could mean the end of
Parachute, or scuba dive,
Since each could mean the end of
You. But what of life?
Epilepsy is not the end of it.
Pressures and stresses have an effect
Epilepsy is not the end of it.
Pressures and stresses have an effect
Inevitably, then life goes onâ
Living, loving like the rest,
Enjoying the world. You
Living, loving like the rest,
Enjoying the world. You
Persist, sometimes you fail. You
Seem hardly affected by
Your fits. You wake
Seem hardly affected by
Your fits. You wake
Each day to the
Possibility.
Once
Possibility.
Once
I was there. You
Lunged towards the floor
Entered unconsciousnessâ
Lunged towards the floor
Entered unconsciousnessâ
Pile of dancing musclesâ
Slept until
Your eyes opened, blank
Slept until
Your eyes opened, blank
Empty. But you knew.
Perhaps it was my look.
It could have been the bruises
Perhaps it was my look.
It could have been the bruises
Left on your arms, your chin
Etched with a graze, a
Prickle of blood on your
Etched with a graze, a
Prickle of blood on your
Smooth tongue. âSore,â
You said simply, stretching
Each limb as you
You said simply, stretching
Each limb as you
Perused the damage.
I felt powerless to help,
Longing to say something.
I felt powerless to help,
Longing to say something.
âEnigmaâ was the word that
Presented itself. A puzzle, but
Somehow the storms would pass.
Presented itself. A puzzle, but
Somehow the storms would pass.
Yawning, you came to again. Another
Electrical storm, another
Pulse of snapping synapses
Electrical storm, another
Pulse of snapping synapses
Inching its way out slowly,
Leaving you thoroughly
Exhausted, leaving me
Leaving you thoroughly
Exhausted, leaving me
Perplexed at its
Suddenness and at
You.
Suddenness and at
You.
Grand mal
I am an electrical impulse.
I dance.
I jump.
I leap across the abyss of the synapse.
I am an excessive and disorderly discharge.
I defy definition.
I recur from time to time.
I am random.
I am entirely cerebral.
I am at the threshold of a seizure.
Grand mal.
Idiopathic.
I give no warning.
I have no aura.
I leap from synapse to synapse.
I create disorder.
She cries out.
I dance.
She waves her arms about.
Everything is in a state of flux.
She falls.
Her pupils dilate.
...
I dance.
I jump.
I leap across the abyss of the synapse.
I am an excessive and disorderly discharge.
I defy definition.
I recur from time to time.
I am random.
I am entirely cerebral.
I am at the threshold of a seizure.
Grand mal.
Idiopathic.
I give no warning.
I have no aura.
I leap from synapse to synapse.
I create disorder.
She cries out.
I dance.
She waves her arms about.
Everything is in a state of flux.
She falls.
Her pupils dilate.
...
Table of contents
- Other books by Susan Hawthorne
- Contents
- BIRD
- THE LANGUAGE IN MY TONGUE
- SEIZED
- TONGUE TIED
- MEDITATION ON FALLING
- THE ADVENTURES OF AN EPILEPTIC
- Acknowledgements