Geraldine Connolly

The Beginning

I am four. Since my new sister is
being brought home from the hospital,
I am banished to the back seat
of the DeSoto and she lies in front
in a crocheted pale green jacket
with ribbon ties, matching booties
and hat, in my mother’s arms.

How I loathe sitting in the back,
watching my mother coo
over her, stroke her cheek, nuzzle
her neck and carry her when we walk
up to the house, lightly, to the crib
where I once slept. I frown as

I stare at her from behind wooden bars
but I am a prisoner locked in
anger at her invasive presence.
When my parents leave the room I rub
the purple birthmark on her forehead,
shake the bars of her little cage
of crib to frighten her then
go to my room and weep.

Geraldine Connolly has published five poetry collections including Food for the Winter (Purdue University Press), Province of Fire (Iris Press) and Aileron (Terrapin Books). Her new collection Instructions at Sunset appeared in 2025. She has taught at the Writers Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the Chautauqua Institution and the University of Arizona Poetry Center. She has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Maryland Arts Council, and Breadloaf Writers Conference. Her work has appeared in Poetry, The Gettysburg Review, The Georgia Review, and Poetry Ireland Review. She has been awarded fellowships from The National Endowment for the Arts, The Cafritz Foundation, Maryland Arts Council. and Breadloaf Writers Conference. Her work  has been anthologized in Poetry 180: A Poem A Day for High School Students, A Constellation of Kisses and The Sonoran Desert: A Field Guide. She lives in Alameda, California. Her website is www.geraldineconnolly.com