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by Rebekah Ainsworth
I look for you often. Never expectation, it is hope my eyes have that your need for sun to keep your cold-blooded,
soft body
moving
within your
hard shell
will coincide
my desire: to see your body art
your neck
outstretched.
amplified exposure, reaching and spreading, thirsty to soak
I am thirsty to soak in you.
~
I do not stand in wait for you to climb up the mud-dipped trunk.
The forest is not for me— life —but is.
I do not come here to wait for you. I catch you
catch me—
in motion is how I always see you, but you
are statue-still, soaking
in every ray of natural,
glitzy blessing, gawk, compliment, smile.
We both soak—or all. You, never alone, are nothing
if not social.
There is plenty of sun to go around on this day.
And I find you beautiful among your other selves.
~
I am in my intended role: at a distance, Alone Girl peaceful
-ly breathing steam
searching beauty to quench ~parched~
WAIT
you exit [stage right]
splash right
back home out of my sight.
It’s a whole other world down there. One the likes of me—not a diver—may never view. I will
not
see you there. I have held your beauty here with me now, and I am joyous, even at your exit.
(You can’t leave unless you’ve been satisfied.)
Continue Reading
American BeaverKatie Daley
Painted TurtleRebekah Ainsworth
Green DarnerMarion Boyer
Eastern Screech-OwlDr. R. Ray Gehani
Spring PeeperBarbara Sabol
Eastern Carpenter BeeSylvia Clark
Jacob's LadderRisha Nicole
Candleflame LichenClara Britton
Eastern NewtElizabeth Ryan
American BullfrogLaura Grace Weldon
American ChestnutCarrie George
American GoldfinchMarybeth Cieplinski
American Giant MillipedeMary Quade
American HornbeamJeff Gundy
American White WaterlilyGeoffry Polk
Artist’s BracketSusann Moeller
Banded Fishing SpiderCharlie Malone
BluegillOlivia Farina
Common Star-of-BethlehemBrita Alaburda
Common StonefliesKaren Schubert
Eastern ChipmunkNathan Kemp
Eastern Tent Caterpillar MothZachary Thomas
Eastern Red-backed SalamanderTovli Simiryan
Firefly BeetleJacquie Peoples Dukes
Gray CatbirdTheresa Brightman
Great MulleinLaurie Kincer
Green HeronPaula J. Lambert
HepaticaAmanda Schuster
Interrupted FernKathleen Cerveny
Jack-in-the-PulpitMichael Buebe
Meadow VoleRoberta Jupin
Monarch ButterflyDeborah Fleming
MuskratCatherine Wing
Pearl CrescentMonica Kaiser
Poison HemlockJon Conley
Red-Headed Ground BeetleBob King
Star JelliesCameron Gorman
Sugar MapleSteve Brightman
Turkey VultureLaura Grace Weldon
White-footed MouseMichelle Bissell
White-tailed DeerBenjamin Rhodes
Wild CarrotJessica Jones
ABOUT
Traveling Stanzas community arts projects bring poetry to people’s everyday lives through innovative methods and digital platforms.