Periwinkle blue, a spring night’s by M.J. Iuppa

Periwinkle blue, a spring night’s

slow awakening— a steady drag &
           lift through depths of iciness

hearing the shrill whine of a lone
           tractor spraying the orchard’s

shadows before daylight & bees’ due
           diligence, only the cab’s lantern

casting a line of sight for the lonesome
           farmer who steadies the wheel

of this hour, moving forward, willing
           to carry his father’s obsessiveness

as if it were his own.

*

M.J. Iuppa’s forthcoming fifth full length poetry collection The Weight of Air from Kelsay Books and a chapbook of 24 100-word stories, Rock. Paper. Scissors. from Foothills Publishing, in 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.

Sinking into the Depths of Noon by M.J. Iuppa

Sinking into the Depths of Noon

Some days, in late May, in the first true heat of Spring, you
can gaze upon the orchard full of blossoms and think of
someone you haven’t thought of in years, and see that face
as you once memorized it with the tip of your finger, tracing
its light and shade— lips parted in slow, steady breath— full
of pollen, full of bees humming— that song that would eat
itself inside out. You can recall wanting nothing more than
what you cherished briefly, and that face will disappear in the
confidence of your daydream, knowing what no one else knows.

*

M.J. Iuppa’s fourth poetry collection is This Thirst (Kelsay Books, 2017). 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.