monkey sees men through glass, so glad not to belong
spider hangs in her summer web, already feels the fall
upstream fish prefers to drift when choosing not to spawn
crow departs the evergreen branch, ignores the murder behind
fox in silence takes her prey, will not be called a thief
hungry doe nibbles the hedge, no care for the gardener’s hand
woman demands he meet her eye, & and look into her soul
citizen votes though the process is flawed, will not become their fool
the line’s not straight, but wavers & bends to offer a flicker or two
field undulates like a calmer sea, the grass root dies of thirst
dark turns light as the heavens wheel by, returns when day is done
walk by the fence as it rises or falls, slip through the gap toward home
hold your breath then let it escape, grab reason as it flies away
persuade one person to respect your rights, stand firm against the rest
court those who float along the edge, hold the center when you can
Photo by luis rock from FreeImages
Anne Leigh Parrish
Award-winning writer Anne Leigh Parrish’s next novel, an open door, will be published in October 2022 by Unsolicited Press. Recent titles from Unsolicited Press are the moon won’t be dared, a poetry collection, October 2021, and a winter night, a novel, released in March 2021. She is the author of seven other books. She has recently ventured into the art of photography and lives in the South Sound Region of Washington State. Find her online at her website, Twitter, Facebook, Medium, Instagram, Linked In, and Goodreads.
