Our Children

They tip toe around us like thieves
Not wanting to be seen
And caught with expensive feelings

They smile and laugh
Like actors
Exchanging anxiety for lies

They are practiced in the art
Of protecting our fragility
Assessing our level of stability
Measuring each emotion with scientific precision
Perfecting a potion they drink to survive

They are alchemists
Magicians of chaos
With one tap on the shoulder
One well-timed sleight of hand
They bring order to our universe
And make us believe
They are going to be all right

back to issue

Mary Wynne studied English literature at the University of Minnesota a million years ago at the same time she also published her first poem, though she can no longer remember the poem nor the publication. She still calls the North Country home, where she gardens, picks at the guitar and has rediscovered her love of playing with words. Her new poems have recently been published by Vita Brevis Press and Spillwords Press. She has completed two yet-to-be-published chapbooks, Reconciliation and Hindsight, and she is currently thinking about what to do next.