The Crash
– Poetry by Kellie Dougal – March 22, 2019
My father liked to work
with his hands
So much so that
it created calluses on his palms
and he survived solely on manual labor
after the crash of 08’
Even when the tumor rooted
itself in his brain
he’d roam around the backyard
with an old axe
up against the
kumquats and the eucalyptus
After the radiation
took his hair
He used the courage
he’d collected during
his days
and he chopped it all down
But one day
a larger branch
landed on him in such a way
that even
his callused palms
couldn’t push it off
Three hours stuck
on the ground
Gradually becoming earth
His eyes up on
the trees
thinking of the way
the eucalyptus sways
spreads fast
and takes up all the space
So nothing else can grow
–
About the Author – Kellie Dougal
Kellie Dougal resides in Los Angeles and is set to graduate from Cal State Dominguez Hills in Spring 2019 with her BA in English Literature. Although she is working to become a preschool teacher, writing has always been a passion of hers. Her poetry has appeared in the Kolob Canyon Review. “The Crash” is her third published poem.
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The Space I Take
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To check out all the poems available on Dreamers, visit our poetry section!