Blessing Gold-staggering flesh exposed Beneath the tattered bark Of a misshapen birch; Little else the woodland offers; Snow and shadow closing- In amid the bleeding dark, And this cold, futile search For greener things falters And prospects become less sure. Good to feel the explosions, Though, of soft-knuckled flakes, Of wind lifting in search Of thick-needled conifers – Setting in circular motion Feathered branches caked With ice; then, the crashing Torrent, a prayer answered Incense of resin rising from altar.
A life-long resident of Connecticut, John Muro is a graduate of Trinity College. He has also earned advanced degrees from Wesleyan University and the University of Connecticut. His professional career has been dedicated to environmental stewardship and conservation, and he has held several executive and volunteer positions in those fields. Over the past year, John has had the good fortune to dedicate more time to his life-long passion for poetry. His first volume of poems, In the Lilac Hour, was published by Antrim House in October of 2020 and is available on Amazon. His work has also recently appeared or will soon appear in Amethyst Review, First Literary Review-East, Plum Tree Tavern, Freshwater and elsewhere.
Amethyst Review 