Benevolence
You, who snap
under the weight of the moon's glow
with your last, long, lover's lament
too bent to hear words of affection.
You, who lift
your aspirations toward lovers
who know not your needs,
who bleed with their own poverty.
You, who rise,
sunshine stiff, with finger's shriveled
from too long in the sun, and run
toward daylight like it's vanishing forever,
Wrap your arms
around sorrow's shank. Sink your teeth
into the nectar of the day. Abide in the sweetness
of the sun and let your pain come undone.
Soak in the love the sun provides
just to be alive with its shining.
Living in the moment is living.
by Annette Gagliardi
Published in Poetic Bond IX, 2019.
Published in Poetry Quarterly, Spring 2019.
Published in Proper Poems for Ladies . . . and a few naughty ones, too, We Sisters LLC, 2019.