Kay Middleton’s most recent poem to appear here was The Silence of Wind, published as part of Contributor Series 3: Resolution and Resolve and in From 9/11 to a New Year, the first vox poetica Contributor Series anthology by unbound CONTENT. It was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2010.
Driving Down
By Kay Middleton
By Kay Middleton
a lost highway looking for a pale blind
fish, the only one who can explain loneliness
and longing, the space of the silence
between notes and the empty air
of unasked questions that swills
my lungs and heart in the grieved
moments before twilight. All he
asks in return is that I devote a moment
to word paint the water and define blue.
This is not a dream for I am defeated
by biased pillow. I lie awake as visionless,
restless lovers do, lying in luxurious
bed, on commonplace mattress
of pallet, most beneath woolen
blanket on floor of plank, stone
or trodden dirt. The community
of us staring at ceilings of varying height
and texture, or the most blessed, gazing
at ancient stars of heaven.
All of us open eyed, driving
down a lost highway, our only plan curtailed
by public drunkenness and a lack of maps.
I love, love your fantastic poem, Nancy. All of your poetry is great but this touched me in a special way. I printed it yesterday. You are special!
Thank you. –Jeanette G.
wow, just wow. So much here to think about.