Matthew Hammerton’s most recent poem to appear here was “Glorious Ocean” (July 2016)

Dickinson
By Matthew Hammerton

Oh woman in white
Whose words caress the tongue
Whose verses break seasons
Who can, in one breath,
Distill tenderness
And in another
Spit words of fire
In one sight
Spy nature’s rhythm
And in another,
Peel back all layers
Reaching for that dark soul

What be the secrets of your life?
Time spent in mourning
With hidden heart
Preparing the way
For silent, cold, death