Passing By by M.J. Iuppa

Howden Pond, 2021

Standing alone in the wood’s lowlight, I

     look closely at everything I’ve ignored in

my passing by— little moss-covered stones

    and shining leaves of jumpseed & goldenrod

growing on either side, close to the path’s

    clipped grass and tall trees standing like

sentries just beyond the ground cover, watching

     over what comes & goes silently, like wings of

moths, opening & closing in emerald shadows

     dissolving into darkness & sounds of even

breath . . .  I am left here— wanting

      to hold this tenderly.

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M.J. Iuppa’s fifth full length poetry collection The Weight of Air is forthcoming from Kelsay Books, May, 2022. For the past 33 years, she has lived on a small farm near the shores of Lake Ontario. Check out her blog: mjiuppa.blogspot.com for her musings on writing, sustainability & life’s stew.