Author’s Note: “I grew up camping on Assateague with my father and brother. I hadn’t camped there in twenty years, then went with a friend and my young daughters. The sounds were so enveloping, and I felt embraced by place, memory, and also newness. I could say so much about how I love this tiny barrier island, but I kept the poem short, with the hope that the reader will feel a sense of the peace and adventure one may find there.”
Assateague, June
Sleep in a curved seashell, opalescent and grey
all night the surf lulling into nicker
our tent leaf-patterned by moonlight
my daughter asks me to name each shell, plant, insect, bird
I might never stop counting all I do not know
bird and surf and moon-high water
wind in low trees all slush and hoof
once we lived
days of sand
wild horses at sunrise
⧫
Lara Payne was once an archeologist and now teaches college-level writing in Maryland to veterans and to children. Her poem “Corn Stand, 10 ears for two dollars” was a winner of the Moving Words Competition and placed on buses in Arlington, Virginia. Her poems explore the environment and the hidden work of women. They have appeared in Beltway Poetry Quarterly and Mom Egg Review.
Delmarva Review selects the most compelling original poetry, nonfiction, and short fiction from thousands of submissions during the year. The nonprofit literary journal is designed to encourage fine writing from authors everywhere. Over forty percent are from the Delmarva and Chesapeake region. The book is available worldwide in print and electronic editions from Amazon.com and other major booksellers. Support comes from tax-deductible contributions and a grant from Talbot Arts with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council. Website: www.DelmarvaReview.org
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