steve fay

POEM ABOUT WHAT I HAVE NO WORDS FOR

even when I wake early.
Never does
not even
late rose
thorns dashing,
never mind that I used
to
some-
where in the night.

but then no
memory.
and was that longing
or only the vacuum of
space?
never
did I

only the color
orange muted
strings
optional embrace
of branches.

could
only listen to the water,
but even it sounded like
words of a mother
going hushh shuhshhhh.
And what

tripping not ever
dancing and the

missing light left
me silent again for hours.

STEVE FAY writes poetry and prose fiction, and makes photographs. His collection of poems, "what nature" (Northwestern UP, 1998) was cited by the editors and board of the Orion Society as one of their 10 favorite nature and culture related books of the 12-month period in which it appeared. Meriting two Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards, and a Pushcart Prize nomination, his work has appeared in "Ascent," "Field," "Beloit Poetry Journal," "Spoon River Poetry Review," "Hiram Poetry Review," "Hamilton Stone Review," and "TriQuarterly," as well as other journals and anthologies, and is forthcoming, or may have recently appeared in "The Comstock Review." He lives in Fulton County, Illinois.