litany for the day
the emptiness that holds
is the emptiness that contains
a square is a bent circle
the air is interrupted by breath
the breath is interrupted by air
the exhale inhales the exaltation
and exhalts the inhalation
three crows fly across the sky
spare change
what bends in the wind
leans on itself
light caresses shadow
shadow dodges light
a moment
a silence
a breaking
a wave upon the shore
***
Matthew W. Schmeer’s work has appeared in Slippery Elm, Panoply, indicia, Cream City Review, Natural Bridge, Valparaiso Poetry Review, and elsewhere. He holds an MFA from the University of Missouri at St. Louis and is a Professor of English at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas.
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