I Started to Think, Who Knows, Maybe I Might Become a Stepfather to Two Boys

and I remember sitting down

in my parents’ living room,

the windows wide open,

the breeze making the dog’s

hair move in waves and saying,

She makes me want to be good.

My Ex-Girlfriend Treated Me Well

and I remember

the intensity of her smile

when we were at the waterpark

on the edge

about to fall

so quickly,

the anticipation,

and her happiness,

better than any moment

I’ve ever had in church.

One of My Best Friends of My Life is Kendrah and I Miss Her

I miss seeing her

on stage

where she made you realize

how much

some people glow

even just standing there.

I Wish I Had the Heart of the Poet Keith Taylor

You can see a hint

of prairie fire

in his beard,

feel the gardening

of his eyes,

but it’s his heart,

so powerful

that it could make the ice storm

decide to rain instead.

I Wish I Had the Heart of the Poet Joy Gaines-Friedler

There is something

so exquisite

about kindness,

that level

of kindness,

where it comes off

the page,

touches your arm

and says,

Here’s a rose

for you too.

© Ron Riekki