‘Changes’ by Peggy Hammond

breezes stir. maple seeds,
miniature helicopters,
spin. oak catkins
twirl. spring
shakes itself,
brushes winter
off its shoulders.
voices and children’s
laughter float as sangria
sparkles in our glasses.
conversation quiets,
our minds still
linger months past,
when wishes were
fulfilled, when
ashes and prayers
mingled with snow
on a silent mountain.
when absence
took its place beside us.

Meet the Poet

Peggy Hammond’s poetry appears or is forthcoming in Two Thirds North, Cordella, Skylight 47, Peeking Cat, The Comstock Review, River City Poetry, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Scissortail Quarterly, Eunoia Review, Pangyrus Literary Magazine, The Sandy River Review, and elsewhere. Her chapbook The Fifth House Tilts is forthcoming in fall 2022 (Kelsay Books). She lives in the mountains of North Carolina, USA.