Brenda Hilliman

Girl Sleuth

A brenda is missing—where is she? 
Summon the seeds & weeds, the desert whooshes. Phone the finch 
with the crowded beak; a little pretenda 
is learning to read 
in the afternoon near the cactus caves. Near oleander & pulpy 
caves with the click-click of the wren & the shkrrrr of the thrasher, 
a skinny pretenda is learning 
to read till the missing brenda 
is found. Drip of syllables like olives near the saguaro. 
Nancy Drew will find the secret in raincoats & wednesdays 
& sticks. Nancy whose spine is yellow 
or blue will find the brenda in 1962, 

Nancy who has no mother, 
who takes suggestions from her father & ignores them. 

Gleam goes the wren ignoring the thorn. They cannot tell the difference. 
Click of the smart dog's nails on linoleum. 
Nancy bends over the clues, 
of brenda's locket & dress. Word by word 
between syllables a clue. Where has the summer gone, the autumn— 
are they missing too? Maybe Nancy 
will parse the secret & read the book report on Nancy Drew: 
"neat pretty sly cute." Syllable by syllable 
& still no brenda! Nancy 
puts her hand to her forehead; is the missing 
girl in the iron bird? is the clue to the girl in the locket?