Lethe-Ward

A poem by Lori Romero

The memory of you rises from evening merlot
the fragrant leavings of a linden in fall

you harbored the rapture of blue from a peacock's neck
the silence in a wildwood's heart

you knew the calligraphy of a coastal morning
gourds swelled in places radishes had been

in you a dream was swallowed by a lazuli sea
from you the dark fit in two ordinary hands

Lori writes:
Parts of this poem came out of a dream, lush with colors and shapes (which is unusual for me as I rarely dream in color or remember such specific details). It's hard to say whether the dream composed the poem or the ideas and words previously floating around in my head imprinted my dream. Writers have always explored that connection between dreams and their work, but for me this was new territory--a fertile place I hope to visit often.

Lori Romero is an editor and co-founder of Cezanne's Carrot. Her first chapbook, Wall to Wall, was published by Finishing Line Press. Her short story, "Strange Saints," was a semifinalist in the Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award, and her short screenplay won the Manhattan Short Film Festival's Scripts and Screenplay Competition. Her poetry and fiction have been published in numerous journals and anthologies. She was just nominated for a Pushcart Prize. For more information, visit Lori's website: www.tarecords.com/loriromero.html or email her at lori@tarecords.com.

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