~After reading William Stafford’s “Lines to Stop Talking By”
You wanted to find Always,
the mirror inside a water drop
hanging pine needles so long
it dropped, the way
everything you wanted built up
and slipped. You dreamt
of breakfast, blocks
of butter and yellow food
your stepmother withheld.
Your window locked, the front door
locked, and what you knew
of the world whispered
outside and ran down
your street in Colton.
After everything burned
and you followed the fire trucks
to the big city, you knew Forever
was Now,
and the rain on your face tasted
warm and salty like an egg.
Kate Gray’s passion stems from teaching, coaching writers, and volunteering as a writing facilitator with women inmates. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, two full-length collections, Another Sunset We Survive, which was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, and a newly released collection, For Every Girl: New & Selected Poems, published by Widow & Orphan House. Her first novel, Carry the Sky, stares at bullying without blinking. Now she is writing through Sylvia Plath in a novel-in-progress, narrating what led to The Bell Jar and her suicide attempt. Kate and her partner live in a purple house in Portland, Oregon, with their impetuous dog. More info at kategraywrites.com.