Lesley Clinton
The End of Drehr Avenue
$425 a month. Ensconced in trees.
One bedroom, kitchen, bath, and balcony.
The humble luxury of wide baseboards.
A clawfoot tub. Oak floors (a few obscure
planks gone damp). Leafy afternoons with sun-
soaked downpours lending striking lightning views.
Because I was alone and broke I let
the rainstorms keep me company and found
that seasons steamed with cloud can ravel us
within. Cocooned, we test the lamplit walls.
We're made to weather the inclemency
that drives us. Even embryonic in
my cloistered flat, tucked out of the clouds' reach,
I felt the pressure shift as winter neared.
When boxing up the plates, anthologies,
and sheets, I also packed the thunderbolts,
and still I keep the counsel of those storms.
Rothko Paints the Central Triptych
I sieve lost whispers
from history's throat,
wide, prescient gifts
we have eyes to hear:
the wearing of stone,
geese darkening stars,
the dust of us sifting,
dew starred at our feet,
the frosted breath of
our calling. Mine's the
old wildflower wind that
has tangled the hair
of seekers from all
generations and
borne their yearnings
like dandelion seeds
bound for soil or stone.
I mean to take part in
the visceral blare
of moment, to sing
with mute pigments
to my vacancy
and yours—lurking, too—
the first of all songs
in language that can't
grow stale or go lost.
For this I still redden
my abysses a tinge.
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| AUTHOR BIO |
| Lesley Clinton's poems have appeared in the 2017 Texas Poetry Calendar, the Houston Poetry Fest 2016 Anthology, Sakura Review, Euphony Journal, Frogpond Journal, The Heron's Nest, Literary Mama, and others. Her background in language arts education includes a BA in English and an MA in Teaching, as well as several years spent teaching high school English. She currently freelances as a writer, editor, and curriculum developer. |
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| POETRY CONTRIBUTORS |
 Jane Blanchard
Lesley Clinton
Maryann Corbett
Barbara Lydecker Crane
Barbara Crooker
Midge Goldberg (Featured Poet)
Grace Marie Grafton
Jaimee Hills
Kathryn Hinds
Kathryn Jacobs
Jean L. Kreiling
Charlotte Mandel
Jennifer Davis Michael
Angela Alaimo O'Donnell
Leslie Schultz
Elizabeth Spencer Spragins
Marilyn Taylor
Cara Valle
Doris Watts
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The most recent addition to The Mezzo Cammin Women Poets Timeline is Etel Adnan by Joyce Wilson.
Save the date: A Celebration of the Timeline reaching 75 essays. Lincoln Center, Fordham University (Sponsored by Fordham's Curran Center) Friday, October 20th, 7 p.m.
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