Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a poet, painter and aspiring micro-farmer. She’s most inspired by seeds and stones and her family. Her first collection, Dirt and Honey, will be published in March by Green Writers Press. You may see more of her work at raquelvasquezgilliland.com.
The Tale of the Earth
There is an earth inside you
and he howls until his feet
pierce the space
between your hips.
You scream.
It sounds
half-wind,
half-bear.
Three pushes and he’s out,
face-down, slippery
as though covered
in huckleberry jam.
Put him to your breast,
lean back against the tree.
Introduce little Earth
to ancient Earth.
Tell them both how
they have oceans
and moons. Tell them both
how they’re held with stars.
Sheila-Na-Gig online 