People Bring Us Flowers

too many white flowers, as if the soul requires
a veil of pure substance it never had the need to form

in life, or we must have the underbelly of so many briars
to hide like tiny aphids within the thorny swarm

of grief when it comes…

You can read the rest of the poem in the latest issue of the Birmingham Poetry Review. Thanks to the editors for including it in such great company.