Why is she imagining standing high above Lake Michigan? Is her brother at the bottom of Lake Michigan? Or is he up in heaven? (gray clouds of exhaustion) Is her brother with her? Are they working together? Is he the one totally depressed? Is she trying to get a hold of his (her brother's) significant other? Someone who would have seen or talked to him more recently than she had? Could she have been adopted and now searching for whom she believes her family might be?
>> The Phone Call >> Philip Levine >> >> She calls Chicago, but no one >> is home. The operator asks >> for another number but still >> no one answers. Together >> they try twenty-one numbers, >> and at each no one is ever home. >> "Can I call Baltimore?" she asks. >> She can, but she knows no one >> in Baltimore, no one in >> St Louis, Boston, Washington. >> She imagines herself standing >> before the glass wall high >> over Lake Shore Drive, the cars >> below fanning into the city. >> East she can see all the way >> to Gary and the great gray clouds >> of exhaustion rolling over >> the lake where her vision ends. >> This is where her brother lives. >> At such height there's nothing, >> no birds, no growing, no noise. >> She leans her sweating forehead >> against the cold glass, shudders, >> and puts down the receiver. >> >> > > > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
