Our first hard frost burned off the garden’s remainders this week. Only the carrots made it through, their tops billowing up from the soil, bright green and fluffy compared to the ashes of the tomato plants, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. We had a long growing season this year with some lovely successes, so I’m good [...]
I walk barefoot through the grassy
knoll,
your heaven – remembering your
green thumb and long sought after
gardens
lost to daydreams or disease.
The flowers you planted I never
learned
the names of, something exotic,
I was never good in Latin. These
you spent
the most time with, watering them
like children. I think they listened to
you more.
Your sister says I have no business
gardening – I [...]
I keep the totem in my pocket
as a harp song sung with a
steady bear paw, wedged
between your photograph
and an eagle feather. Before
we parted, you whispered it
would serve me well on rainy
days when my road was too
much to stand on. This morning
I pulled the car to the shoulder
to watch an osprey hover with
a cold sun. I [...]
blue birds
cut
and hover
over rich
reds
and pumpkin
leaves –
swell
with lush
lilies lying
nude
along the cold
stream, peeling
effigies
of a great painter.
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Bradley McIlwain is a Canadian-based writer and poet who lives and works in rural Ontario. His poems have been published in national and international print and online magazines. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, Honours, from Trent University, with [...]
Part One here.
Lala sat down on the curb and motioned for Davey to sit next to her. As he slowly sat down and settled his feet into the orange leaves filling the gutter, Lala was opening up her laptop and getting it ready for a little presentation.
“All right, now first of all, look at this [...]
Davey Dow was walking down the street a bit earlier and a bit happier than was usual for a Friday afternoon (Friday, usually, being the least halcyon of his days), and anyone on the street who may have known him would have swiftly gotten out of his way with that long and peculiar sidelong glance [...]