m review — poetry — long past midnight
Honorable Mention in Poetry — 2006 M Review Writing Contest
Long Past Midnight
by Patricia Wellingham–Jones
Full-moon paws through the sycamores
lays shadows on dry grass
I pick my way barefoot
along a path of star–shine
Cicadas silenced, scrub jays asleep
only the whoosh of heavy wings
signals the great horned owl
The back of my neck prickles
A sudden shriek tells its own story
a creature caught
between supper and safety
Branches shiver in gusts of wind
patterns sliver in black and white
my sense of direction fractures
Over my left shoulder
the owl's low–voiced treble
hastens me home
Patricia Wellingham–Jones of Tehama, California
Former psychology researcher, writer, editor, lecturer Patricia Wellingham-Jones has recently been published in Edgz, Ibbetson Street Press, Underground Window, and HazMat Review. She is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Her newest books are "Belt of Transit" (PWJ Publishing) and "Hormone Stew" (Snark Publishing); also published is "Don't Turn Away: Poems about Breast Cancer". Her website is www.wellinghamjones.com.
