conversation cast adrift
silence brings two mouths nearer
the wariness yields slowly
smooth shift from dance to embrace
we can see them from the dock
stepping along the worn path
sheets of rain smudge
round flowers bluer
hoping the new growth
will startle us with colour
we bury used nails
a treasure to splurge
orange popsicles
from the corner store
hot summer sidewalks
chalky squares against
brown grass
go on forever
dips measure longer pauses
we halt the paddles to hear
a short December crossing
danger an ice slab away
Frances Boyle lives in Ottawa, Canada. Her third poetry collection, Openwork and Limestone, will be published in fall 2022 (available for pre-order at https://www.frontenachouse.com/product/openwork-and-limestone/). In addition to two earlier books of poetry, Frances is the author of an award-winning short story collection, and a novella. Her writing has been selected for the Best Canadian Poetry series and for Poem in Your Pocket Day, nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Recent publications include Rust and Moth, Paris Lit Up, Pinhole Poetry, Resurrection Magazine, The Literary Review of Canada, and The New Quarterly. Visit http://www.francesboyle.com for more.
JMWW 