Nicole Taylor

Women First

a fragile x story

We hate math.
They tell us we can't do it.

They measure our x axis.
With abscission, they

cut and separate the
flowers from the fruits.

beauty from plainness,
simplicity from difficultness.

X substitutes before y, a, bc.
Why females before the males?

Why does x mark the spot?
Sign here or form radiation

of extremely short wavelengths?
Why do x-rays mean to examine

or treat, like nurturing rays?
Why does x mean extra large or small?

Why is x so fragile, so oriented?

* * *

Steps Practice 3, 4, 5,

I. Tai Chi Class

Step left, turn arm right.
and step right
I forget to
slide other foot in
I forget
use correct
arm movements.
I and others practice
pushing against the
imaginary ball.
My meditative practice and waves
are too quick,
before inward pressing.

I am told
"Confused Nicole?"
"Watch her."

II. Dance Class

I am told
not to move too fast
in an interpretive group dance,
in a swimmer's lane dance
or in a bus stop waiting dance.

III. Disability Court Hearing

The disability judge
for social security assistance
tells us
"she would probably forget
steps 3, 4, 5."

* * *

Family Meeting In Church Downtown

I.	1965 determination

		God

		Only

		Really

		Knows

		It sounds so alien.



II.	2007 determination

		Pervasive

		Developmental

		Disorder

		/

		Not

		Otherwise

		Specified

		It does not sound as alien.



III.	May 2008

		Both written

		on a chalkboard

		at church meeting.

		Most of these impairments 

		describe her? 

		says her sister of a list showed to them.

		WHAT WILL 

                        YOU DO

                        WHEN MOM DIES?

		yells her older sister

		about finances

		after reading a short list

		of adaptive impairments.

	Not sure

	but this time

		she ran.

Nicole Taylor has attended college in Salem, Oregon where she lives near her family. She has been published in her college newspaper, a dance friend's e-mail newsletter, two anthologies, previously at Wordgathering, and three recent poems in a bicycling journal, Boneshaker Almanac and one in DanceAbility, through, Chemeketa College