There’s a boy standing in the light
at the end of the forest,

some newfound splinter of radiance
dislodging the humdrum winter,

spilling the freshness of summer
onto the decaying sheets,

the mercurial engines of sleep
with their dream-chug logic.

Beautiful spider. Empathetic changeling.

What must I do to touch the cold fire
burning in your hands?

When can I hear the secret music
you’ve been weaving through the shadows?

How many days have you stolen
from the glint of passing eyes?

Seth Jani

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Seth Jani lives in Seattle, WA and is the founder of Seven CirclePress (www.sevencirclepress.com). Their work has appeared in The American Poetry Journal, Chiron Review, Ghost City Review, Rust+Moth and Pretty Owl Poetry, among others. Their full-length collection, Night Fable, was published by FutureCycle Press in 2018.  Visit them at www.sethjani.com.

Artwork:  Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, fourth in a series, “Sonata of the Sun,” 1907.

30 Dec This entry was published on December 30, 2022 at 12:06 am and is filed under 54 (December 2022), Current Issue, Poetry. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.