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First published in Sketchbook May/June 30, 2009, Vol 4, No. 3

Third in a series of collaborations between Mary Davila and Tracy Koretsky.

The point called “Entrusting Middle“ is easy to find. It is located mid-calf where the two top muscle masses meet the lower ones, that is, the depression at the back of you shin. Its location on the body’s meridian map is where the Bladder channel has both its Sea and Sky points, that is, the lowest point (our feet) energetically coupled to the highest point (our heads.) The point is associated with moving forward and clearing it is said to help people feel less stuck. The Bladder is also the meridian of fear, and of course, fear can make us feel stuck. It is used clinically to help clear sudden sweats, as in pregnancy and menopause, for example. And there are those who believe that holding the point can calm a fetus. I did not choose to write about this point because it has particular resonance to me, but because the language associated with it is just so extravagantly gorgeous. I felt like a seamstress working for the first time with silk. I gave it a quasi-tanka shape (5/6/5—6/6) and a weird sort of pivot. I tried to use it as a true pivot though, and really renku from line 3 to line 4. It is intended as a pure language poem, gorgeous, but for most people, nonsensical, diction cut to look like a tanka—a kind of word jewelry. In a poem like this, readers must supply their own meanings or accept that there is no specific meaning, but rather a mood. Certainly, this kind of poem is not for everyone, but to my mind, Mary’s setting sun and darkening day has given it context and suggested more possible meanings. At the same time, the enigmatic words shaded the image with a sort of tone. At least, this was our hope.

Tracy Koretsky