…the long wave swells and rolls towards my shore
sound is sucked from air
till only the subterranean roar
of a distant heart is felt
and breath is held prisoner

a gull breaks and wheels overhead

the wave rushes
i breathe salt and fire
tremble like stars in twilight
know how a heart can fill the spaces
how fingertips can understand a world

Selected byNolcha Fox
Image credit:Matthew Fournier

author bio: Jan Harper

 

Enjoyment of the written word is a gift I've been granted all my life; to have others enjoy what I write is another, more surprising one.

 

When a poet's words are read, minds connect at an infinitely intimate level.

 

My writing has appeared in various print publications, from single pieces to arrangements of 10, plus in numerous spots across the web over the past 20 years.

 

I'm an ex-Brit living in America with my husband, mother-in-law, dog, cats and chickens, plus coyotes, rabbits, deer, possums and other wild critters; when I'm not writing poetry, I can be found with my hands in the dirt, planting and growing a kaleidoscope of produce, or making jams and good meals from the harvest. Painting, knitting, needlecraft and more all express my love of creating.

 

(photo taken with my phone of a little spot near Southend, England, where I once sat and ate burger and chips as I contemplated being a mermaid)