dependency

dependency

Abigail Moma

there is only one way to approach him.
like a child, he said. you must pierce
the sky with your newborn cry
and not deny your nakedness.

held together by breath and mercy,
lay your dust-formed frame upon
his feet and acquiesce to the ache
only he can relieve.

do you know how desperate you are
to drink from the crimson river
of his crushing and feast upon
holy flesh? can you hear the sound
of your need for nearness to that
which is truly life?

we must become helpless again
and reach for him with sticky hands.
oh, he will carry us and clean us
and wean us from ourselves.
he cannot resist the sound
of dependency.

---

Abigail Moma
Poet

Abigail Moma lives in Decatur, Illinois with her husband, cat, and their business, The River Coffee Company. Her poem, Song of the Water Lilies, was shortlisted for the 2017 Montreal International Poetry Prize. In 2023, her book, The Good Portion: Poetry and Reflections, was published. She is currently working on a second book, Come Away, My Love: The Call of the Bridegroom.

Painting by Mary Cassatt