.​POETRY  -  
          With the Theme of Choices

"the field bereft of grass, bare to the wind,
and the field with five Herefords ruminating
on the lucky abundance of clover."

​                                Photo by Weebly.com                                    

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Sitting on a Fence
by MJ Moore

"Why sit on a fence when you can paint it?"
Jimmy Moore, Radio KRUU.

​​I’ll tell you why.
 
Because you can see
the white farmhouse and red barn,
the brown colt practicing
the bounce in his gait.
 
Because you can see both sides--
the field bereft of grass, bare to the wind,
and the field with five Herefords ruminating
on the lucky abundance of clover.
 
You can see, past the burned stubble of stalks,
a small constant stream
and dark loam ready for planting.
 
You can sit absolutely still
and not startle the young deer
at the edge of the trees.
 
Because, on occasion,
there is something better than doing,
under the bright and timeless sky.

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​​MJ Moore lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her various incarnations have included technical writer and editor, farm apprentice, environmental activist, teacher, poet, wife, and mother. As a bicoastal being, she thrives on salt air, wind and waves, but also loves mountains, deserts, forests and streams. Writing for her is a source of vision and joy. Her book of poems, Topography of Dreams, was published by Blue Light Press in 2020.

Other works in this issue:
Poetry:
​Defying the Gods

Photo Essay:
Reflections from My Travels

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