A Literary Magazine in Support of the Jewish Community
Things Angels Might Do
Disguise themselves as guide dogs
with their leather halos. Nudge over
the wrench when needed or hide
the phone when you shouldn’t
make that call. Blow through
a pin hole in a leave when you’re sad
to show you all is in motion.
Drop vials of rain on the barely-there
pond in a drought. Overlay better
dreams on the bad ones you’re having
on a very cold night. Float a canoe
toward you in the dream where
you’re afraid of drowning. Rise
as escaped feathers from an old pillow
and mingle with the dust of your old
anguish. Sing loud and off-key
because no one’s perfect. Wait
on the cusp of the next day without
expectation. Get wet or sun-burnt
on occasion for our benefit. Hold
our lives like Ukrainian nesting dolls
to show us at the center there’s
something solid where we all begin.
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Kansas Poet Laureate Emerita, is the author of 24 books, including How Time Moves: New & Selected Poems; Miriam's Well, a novel; Needle in the Bone, a non-fiction book on the Holocaust; and The Sky Begins At Your Feet, a memoir. Founder of Transformative Language Arts, Mirriam-Goldberg leads writing workshops widely, coaches people on writing and right livelihood through the arts, and consults with businesses and organizations on creativity. You can find her online at www.carynmirriamgoldberg.com.
