Rachael Ikins (Colours of Love and Barriers)

Rachael Ikins

Rachael Ikins is a 2016/18 Pushcart, 2013/18 CNY Book Award, 2018 Independent Book Award winner, & 2019 Vinnie Ream & Faulkner poetry finalist. 2021 Best of the Net nominee. She is a Syracuse University graduate and author/illustrator of nine books in multiple genres. Her writing and artwork have appeared in journals worldwide from India, UK, Japan, Canada and US. Born in the Fingerlakes she lives by a river with her dogs, cats, salt water fish, a garden that feeds her through winter and riotous houseplants with a room of their own. Frogs found their way to her fountain. Dragons fly by.

Epiphany

My wife fell in love this summer.

I didn’t know what to do.  Neither did she.

It was obvious. My heart went out to her.

She is 51 going on 12 years old.  We play Scrabble

 long winter nights.  She doesn’t invent words,

she uses German, French and Spanish. When my score

 begins to climb she removes her underwear, hikes 

her night-gown up to just there. I swear I can’t think

 of anything wordy after that.

“Strip Scrabble” she calls it, not cheating.

She has tattoos and body piercings.

Writes photographic, honest poetry.

Can’t type worth shit. Totes a gun and wears 

camouflage pants. Swears-words defend her

 in ways I never could. She is

my hero.

I love her, her butch cut, bravery and

how she loves her pet pig, Roosevelt. I love her silly

 puns, ridiculous jokes. How she cries for fallen soldiers

 after every war,

for those losing the battle with time,

and homeless cats.  I love how she fights, is rarely silent. 

That she licks the batter bowl when I make cake.

She is bossy, opinionated and not very good at sharing.

The most generous woman I’ve ever known.

I love how she tries to free

prisoners, to rescue other trapped wild things 

and most of all

I root for her as she tries

to free herself. I love

her coming out, and yet how

she goes to sleep

each night

with me.

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Colours of Love :: Setu, July 2022