The Middle Verses

the past bleeds,
a black river

the future stretches out,
a winding sheet,
and all that lies
in the sun
bears witness to
the soft vowels
of the earth

the sky is a radiant flower
a camellia
rain falls
like petals
like broken bones

chasms open
mountains echo
a lost word
in a foreign tongue
a curse
an oath
a prayer

Carolyn Adams’ poetry and art have appeared in Beatnik Cowboy, Willawaw Journal, The Alembic, Hawaii Pacific Review, and Common Ground Review, among others. She has been nominated for a Pushcart prize, as well as for Best of the Net, and was a finalist for 2013 Poet Laureate of the city of Houston, TX.  She is currently a staff editor for Mojave River Review.  Having relocated from Houston, she now lives in Beaverton, OR.

[image: Will Thompson Coon | Camellia After the Rain]