November's Cardinal

by Emerson Flanagan

My grandmother holds my hand, gaunt fingers  

laced between my own sticky, curious fingers. 

The smell of her skin clings to me, 

powdery roses and oversweetened strawberry perfume 

that sticks to the back of my  

throat. She chirps over family, sipping on 

unsweet tea with lemon, perched  

on whining leather in her faded pink nightgown.  

My grandmother listens to my stories  

for oily action figures and crayon smeared Barbie dolls  

when a stuffed animal audience can’t 

laugh or applaud. She’ll stay on the porch, 

lounging beneath wind chimes while I chase 

butterflies and beetles through her planter. 

My grandmother holds my hand, cold fingers 

laced between my own bony, soft fingers. 

I’ll drive down the bumpy street of Fisherman’s Cove, 

the color black hanging heavier than usual. 

The house is quiet. 

Weekly pill organizers lay on the dining table, 

my grandmother’s nearly full. Her chair 

sinks with her imprint, leather peeling 

and quiet. 

I’ll sit on the porch and hum along to the quieting wind chimes 

only to stop as a red cardinal lands  

beyond the screen door. I smell the sickly sweetness 

of my grandmother’s perfume in the wind 

as the cardinal takes off 

only to be replaced  

with the thick odor of diesel exhaust 

and the neighbor's cigarette smoke. 

About the Writer...

Emerson Flanagan is a senior in the Creative Writing department at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and is the current Senior Art Director of Élan. She enjoys writing poetry and fiction, often pulling inspiration from herself and the arts.

About the Artist...

Ji'Niyah is a senior at Douglas Anderson, as well as a drawing and painting major. Her works are all influenced by her life experiences as a black girl. She specializes in painting but loves to try all forms of art. Ji'Niyah was the youngest to win third place in the Jacksonville fair mural contest and the youngest to live paint at a Winedownfest event.