The Mississippi shows herself

by waiting under the bridge.
She saves those wanting to walk on water
drowns others.

Her veil falls over the dam,
built from the sand
she eroded first.

I am married to my work
to bear my children one spoonful at a time.

Her humming knows,
and I sleep

with the fish and the rocks
and the damned.
—

From Behind the Volcanoes, released March 22, 2014: http://www.julesnyquist.com/events.html

Jules Nyquist lives in Albuquerque and is the creator of the Poetry Playhouse.  She received her MFA from Bennington College, VT and her poetry collection, “Appetites,” (Beatlick Press) was a finalist for the New Mexico/Arizona 2012 Book Awards.  Her next book of poems is entitled “Behind the Volcanoes.”  www.julesnyquist.com