A Balloon and his Friend

A Balloon and his Friend

The little girl did not know what he was at first— the yellow thing that did not drop if you let go. Still he filled her with so much joy she’d either burst or grow wings so she could float with him through the air. He smiled from above while she laughed along...
A Child’s Sleep

A Child’s Sleep

I wonder if the tearful child, not yet perceiving what it means to fall asleep, might believe she dies each night. Afraid to go alone, she chokes on her goodbyes, “Please don’t forget me! O please leave the door ajar!” But the swallowing Unknown will...
The Icebox

The Icebox

In my dream, I held too many things in my hands and my fingers grappled and fumbled with the load afraid I’d drop one as I stumbled down the road for I’d balanced several things atop an icebox and my dream-drunk brain was slow, weighted down with sand...
The Only One I Sing To

The Only One I Sing To

Your milk-fattened fingers, sticky with joy, dirty the fold of my shirt, and you squirm, unaware that you might be dropped. Twice now you’ve made me panic thinking I’d lost my hold on your wriggling belly when your head suddenly flopped to one side. Little...