we walked in the shadows
of our shadows to blend
with other shadows
this rectangular geometry
took dominion
over winter
plunked lilies
into the lakes
we never knew existed
(originally published in November Bees, Summer 2016)
ekphrastic
City at Night
When the city stops buzzing, streetlights
invite reflections onto storefront windows.
Finally, the distortions make us young,
removing cigarette burns and ash.
What love is reserved for the old? The bridge
seems sturdy in winter but more slippery
with its blue-streaked ice– and mouths of
gravel seem ageless. Time rescinds her reach
toward the cradle of sleep–
maligned shoes end on a cold porch,
slathered in a salty grit. Snow on
the doormat waits for extinction.
(originally published in “the vacant hinge of a song“, courtesy of Origami Poems Project)