By Linda Conroy
In half-shade that signifies the close
of night I see the faded quarter- moon
poised mute above the faint skyline.
A silence of birds sits in winter pine.
The stillness of the dawn is tangible.
I sense her at a distance with no color yet,
no bark nor bang at eagerness’s window,
only an idling in the eaves. She slips
soundless over the backyard fence,
knowing that my hopefulness persists
even when the daffodils look gray
though they might wish to work
on glowing, as I do, it is too soon.
My blossoming comes later in the day.
Copyright Conroy 2017
Linda Conroy , SHARK Reef Poetry Co-editor, retired from a long career as a Child Protective Services worker, manager, meeting facilitator and advocate for people with unique needs; she knew she needed to write about the complicated and gratifying human behaviors she had been privileged to witness, as well as the impact of the natural world and the changing times. Initially, she wrote fiction and creative non-fiction, but poetry quickly became her favorite genre.
She continues to host and facilitate writing groups at Village Books in Bellingham, WA, and enjoys spending time with writer friends. She is a four–time Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest winner and has received nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Her poetry has recently appeared in many journals and anthologies and at local community events. She is the author of two poetry collections, Ordinary Signs, and Familiar Sky.
All work by Linda Conroy