by Joseph Hardy
that gathered you up, nearing
your very center, turned to wander away
no matter how gently you tried
to hold on to it, to hold onto yourself.
As if sleep were a magician
and you a rope of scarves being pulled
from your own pocket—
too many colors to count
a thread of conversation
retreating, even as you listened.
Joseph Hardy, a reformed human resource consultant, lives with his beautiful wife Judith and wonder dog, Charley Girl, in Nashville, Tennessee. His work has been published in: Appalachian Review, Cold Mountain Review, Inlandia, Plainsongs, and Poet Lore, among others. He is the author of two books of poetry, The Only Light Coming In and Becoming Sky (Bambaz Press Los Angeles, 2020 and 2023), and a picture book, At the Reading of the Will—And a Boy’s Life Thereafter (IngramSpark, 2023). His graphic story, Golden, will soon be available on Amazon.
