For just a moment the silhouette of
a bright white bird stays almost still against

the sun.  It is that orange time of day when
it seems as if all the world’s trees are on fire

tearing at the clouds with fragrant, burning fingers.  
Not my favorite time of day.  5 pm

proves that I am not the only living
argument in favor of trepidation.  

The bright white bird is not afraid--not of
flight nor of failure. Its only fear is

hunger and it vanquishes that with every
dive and stab at the darkening water below. 

Martina Reisz Newberry’s most recent book is WHERE IT GOES (Deerbrook Editions), She is also the author of LEARNING BY ROTE (Deerbrook Editions), WHAT WE CAN’T FORGIVE. LATE NIGHT RADIO, PERHAPS YOU COULD BREATHE FOR ME. HUNGER, AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE: POEMS 1996-2006, NOT UNTRUE & NOT UNKIND (Arabesques Press, Amari Hamadene, editor) and RUNNING LIKE A WOMAN WITH HER HAIR ON FIRE: Collected Poems (Red Hen Press). Newberry has been included in Ascent Aspirations first hard-copy Anthology, also in the anthology In The Company Of Women and has been widely published in literary magazines In the US and abroad. Martina lives in Hollywood, California with her husband Brian and their best 4-legged pal, Charlie the Cat.