Alison Hurwitz

Understory

We take the long way home,
eyes pixelated, still blinking
motes from manufactured light.
We try to walk the twilight in. 

Foliaged among the ferns
and redbud shadows, we almost miss it
there, until a trembled branch reveals
its presence. Barred Owl. 

Two scrying pools gaze into us,
rearranging time until the owl unfurls
its wings of muscled silk,
springs up to cup the dusk like water. 

We forget that we have
names, watching hunger rise
beyond the river beeches: that curve
of owl flight, cutting loose the moon.

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Alison Hurwitz's recent publications include Global Poemic, Words and Whispers Journal, Tiferet Journal, Writing in a Woman’s Voice, Anti-Heroin Chic and A Book of Matches.  Her work is forthcoming from Amethyst Review, Rust and Moth and The Shore.  Alison lives in North Carolina with her family and rescue dog. She hosts a free monthly poetry reading, Well-Versed Words. See details at alisonhurwitz.com