.
.
The Sun
The face above that shone below
From space to hover, cast a glow
And warmth afforded to the one
Who in its path was found; the sun
.
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On Mass Shootings
I cut loose the clod from the moorings of root
I thought about God, and the fellows who shoot
We’ve given them nothing for morals, or law
Except for consensus (exceptional flaw)
.
.
John’s Thoughts on Jesus, Night Before His Death
I didn’t have the words, I guess I should have said,
So quiet I deferred, his chest beneath my head.
.
.
Alec Ream is a writer living in Virginia. His poetic work and creative fiction have been widely published. A member of the Demosthenian Literary Society at UGA, he wrote on Lookout Mountain, and continued to write, lecture and work for Delta Kappa Epsilon HQ. He was first published reading to the pledge class of Michigan DKE, in Ann Arbor in 2008. Recently, his poem Green Fire was read at the Washington Literary Society & Debating Union at UVA.
I really like that last couplet, “John’s Thoughts…”. I would remove the first comma, as the intended caesura is quite enough, but this is a little beauty. Delicate, touching, deep. Congrats.
Thanks, appreciate the kind remarks and critique as well.
I enjoyed the simplicity of the verse–terse yet descriptive. sweet and savory to the taste, substantive enough to chew on, yet easy to swallow, and nourishing to digest! Merci, Chef Al! As a bonus, the accompanying photo is an inspired choice by our dear editor.
The credit for the photo will have to go back to Al. The poems he submits are often ekphrastic and come with their own images. That was the case for “The Sun.” Thank you Al and James, and happy Easter!
-Evan
Thanks, James – terse is a high compliment. Savory’s likely the most deserving, but under rated compliment in terms of the palate. “Asher makes royal hors d’oeuvres, fit for a king.” Genesis 49.
“John’s Thoughts” is a stunning couplet, capturing a moment of supremely significant memory.
The dactylics of “On Mass Shootings” are effective because they make their point in two couplets, neatly and succinctly. But I think there should be periods after “root” and “shoot.”