Kendra Tanacea
LEARNING TO ICE SKATE
He handed her a red leash.
He handed her the black Labrador’s leash.
He handed her the dog’s leash while she was on ice.
He handed her the leash while she was on ice skates.
The dog’s paws scratched the layer of frost.
Her double blades cut parallel lines across the lake.
It was night. The evergreens were black.
The dog ran across the surface of the lake.
The dog pulled her across the lake’s surface.
Her hood fell backwards.
Her mittens held the red leather loop.
The edge of the lake tipped.
Her skates sliced up shavings.
Her brown ponytail in midair.
The dog ran across the frozen lake.
The Little Dipper ladled stars from the black sky.
About the writer:
Kendra Tanacea attorney holds a BA in English from Wellesley College and an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College. Her first collection of poetry, If You’re Lucky Nobody Gets Hurt, was a finalist for the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. A Filament Burns in Blue Degrees, published by Lost Horse Press, was a finalist for the Idaho Prize for Poetry. Kendra’s poems have appeared in Rattle, North American Review and Poet Lore, among others.
Image: Fairy Tale by Marta Shmatava (1965-). Oil on canvas. 120 x 100 cm. 2010. By free license.
