compass my eyes to speed of light

by Kathleen Hellen

We need each other as we need the earth we share.
                                                   —Maya Angelou 

like            barnacle geese 
                                                     migrating

the robin ent-
ang-l-ed                  —how

to find you? a gram 
of scent—mint vanilla almond

a fraction of mass         accelerating

a chemical bond circling the depths 
of rock and solid ice 

in atmospheres eccentric

where are you? 
            among the solitary

giants
—the feel of you (so close!) 

an oven in red glow

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Kathleen Hellen’s collection meet me at the bottom is forthcoming in Fall 2022 from Main Street Rag. Her credits include The Only Country Was the Color of My Skin, her award-winning collection Umberto’s Night, published by Washington Writers’ Publishing House, and two chapbooks, The Girl Who Loved Mothra and Pentimento.