In Dreamland
(After Mary Oliver)When I lived in the cityI dreamed I was made of bricks.When I lived by a small round …
Author Archives: Ronald E. Shields
Burning
(After Mary Oliver, On Traveling to Beautiful Places)Mary found God everywhere—dusty flowerbeds, sand under sun,certainly on distant islands,each place animated …
Invasive
Invasive plants get around, the woods are a promiscuous place.Kudzu, rose of Sharon come with a mad lust for lifeand …
Persistence
I could do that, thinks the mannequin, I could be a scarecrow. Changewould do me good—this plastic smile makes my …
Everything For Real
What does it mean to call yourself Glue All?Really? Glue everything?Okay, paper, plastic, wood—but failure,fog, memories? What then is everything?It …
The Magic of Crows
If the sadness of a tolling bellis the absence of melody,the heartbeat is a melancholy rhythmwe don’t want to escape,but …
Answers
AnswersIf my body becomes my soul, where will I be?Where will I go to feel the world pressagainst me, the …
Father’s Day
I did not see your faceat the end. You slippedaway unseen, unknown.I would rediscover youto fully understandthe meaningwhen I see …
Just Make-Believe
Oh soul,animate me—a dream-dippedyapping sock-puppet.Release me,let me triangulatetoday’s truth,the good work,the years spenton penance-worn knees—finding out what’s wrong with me.I …
Why I Get Out of Bed…
After James TateSmall birds want seedRabbits prefer oatsBig jays measure peanutsSquirrels eat everythingFeeding time, such a tangle—Feathers/fur, tooth/clawEvery beak a …
Poetry on the run 