The Beginning
by Kevin Vibert
In the beginning, there was nothing.
And that was fine for a while, anyway;
without any noticeable landmarks around
(or any landmarks to be around, or anything for
those landmarks to be around, were they around)
rent was low, and that was alright.
But low rent alone is no reason to live somewhere,
especially nowhere,
and soon nothing got bored.
So nothing decided to pick up, and move out,
and find somewhere a little more exciting.
And in its wake, Something was born,
Blinking at its own light,
Its stars and planets and moons,
Its trees, animals, people,
Technicians and lobbyists and people who count things when they're nervous,
And technicians' breakfasts and lobbyists' lunches and things to count,
Including other people, counting other things,
And on the side some hope, and a little happiness, in places.
But eventually nothing got bored of looking,
just as nothing had gotten bored of not looking,
and wandered back home.
So in the end, there was nothing, too;
except maybe the wisdom that sometimes low rent is reason enough to
live somewhere,
especially nowhere.
BIO: Kevin Vibert is an undergraduate English Major at the University
of Massachusetts at Amherst. This is his first publication.
BEES. BARELY REMEMBERED
by Lois Beebe Hayna
What comes back in rare moments
is the warmth of spring sun
on her shoulders, mixed with
the humming of hundreds of bees
intent on plundering pollen, heavy
with nectar, vibrating up there
above her. Something fierce in that buzz
but contented too, so the child she was
that early spring sat
with sun warm on her back
to gather dandelions. Bright dusty-gold
she hoards them, never mind
that they go droopy almost as fast
as she fists them. but maybe also
she remembers that backdrop
of vibrant humming,
a tree come suddenly white with blossom
and alive with bees.
Bio: Lois Beebe Hayna's fifth collection of poems, Keeping Still, was released in 2005. She has been widely published in poetry journals including, The South Dakota Review, The MacGuffin and The Wisconsin Quarterly Review. She has received a Colorado Arts Recognition grant and is the Poet Laureate Emerita for Colorado Springs.
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