RUTH TICKTIN

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POETRY

Image by Jonathan Borba

Ever Light

Oh Sun Our Sun
Ever Eternal Rise-and Set

Stay still And observe
Your presence Is present
Hoping that Knowledge will
Push us To action

Mighty Brightest star
Round the globe You provide
A gleaming Our dreaming
A path To rapport

Sun Light Sun Ray
Over Water-and Onto Hill

Note space And note time
Bring goodness And unite
As we yearn To accept
Allow Harmony

Shine down Flash on us
Power to Flip sorrow
Into peace Not later
Cease hate Learn to love

Follow the Flow

After work on a crisp Fall evening
arm in arm avoiding crowds we walk
into the park away from street sounds. clamor. clatter
One foot in front of the other we tune out noise, not chilly fingers and toes

A family stumbles out the front door of City Hall
we follow them—newlyweds their witnesses
struck like us by fading sunlight
crunch of footsteps on leaves, the stillness of cold breeze

Following the celebrants through the trees
they stop to pose at the fountain, we cross sides
just as the corner lanterns are turned on
Brights spots illuminate the graying sky, mouths agape we stare

Streams drop, falling water reflects
shining lamplight flickers in the  flowing waters
glass candelabra. granite basin. brass fixtures—protect eternal water flows
trickling about, continue pouring in over down around back up the fountain

Squeezing hands, we must part ways
to the subway to walk to home
the run-in of touch the rush of waters
we’ll return, we’ve resolved to follow the flow

My Friend

Walking across the way to her apartment
We are four years old
Waiting, she clutches her soft blankie

             Delighting in our play we
             Dream up games like
             Dress-up in a castle

                          Clutter we don’t see
                          Cooking we don’t smell
                          Chaos of home we sense and shut down

                                       Outside we’re holding hands
                                       On the sidewalk pebbles roll around
                                       Only us carefree, we sweat in the sun
                                       Out the window no one’s looking for us

                                                    Not letting our imagination go
                                                    Now we have each other—just so