You have to be amenable to Wonder.
You have to read the spaces between the words
as well as the text and you have to see that
where you step may be earth scattered over with
a magic loess.

You have to believe that hands as well as eyes
let you see souls; lips as well as fingertips
heal. You have to believe that the God of the
White Tiger is the God of you, that demons
live in every lie ever told, in every
day of loneliness come to any living creature.

You have to discern that a voice is a bin
that holds, folds and releases tears, fury, glee.
When you have faith in these things, astonishment
will visit your doorstep and there will be an
unstinting flight to your days, burning stars
in your dreams.

—

​Martina Reisz Newberry’s recent books: Never Completely Awake (Deerbrook Editions), and Take the Long Way Home (Unsolicited Press). Widely published, she was awarded residencies at Yaddo Colony for the Arts, Djerassi Colony for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Disciplinary Arts.

Martina lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Brian.