Thank you to Abbie Shanahan for her poem “The Long Way Home” with its beautiful imagery.
The Long Way Home
by Abbie Shanahan
When I was young,
I took the long way home—
stopped at the crab apple tree
and its bitter fruit,
Took every opportunity to run
my fingers through the thick fur of the neighbor’s dog,
paused to blow dandelion wishes
and memorize the hues of periwinkle
snaking along the edges of my yard.
Life was so filled with color
that even my dreams
were vivid things.
Later, I would be drawn
to black and gray–
the muted hues meant to tame
the spotlight of the summer sun
and a body I wanted to hide.
Now, it is the autumn of my life
and the trees are showing off again,
I find myself drenched in color.
Autumn and I, we have lived
through rainstorms and sticky air,
blossoms and fullness.
Now that winter is coming,
there is nothing left to hide;
we pause here for a time, ablaze.
Abbie Shanahan is a literacy specialist and mother from Western Massachusetts. Her work can be read in Tabula Rasa Review, Eunoia Review, and Opol, among others. Find her on Substack at Lichen & Salt, and look for her debut poetry book entering the world soon!