by Scott Tierney
After New Year’s Day, Fire
for Eleanor Ann Botts
I track salt through the house.
You sit in your red robe by the window.
I dream of change, whole fields of it.
You eat saltines, toast with butter.
I hold your hand wearing mittens.
You comb my hair which is golden.
I ask about war. I ask about gardens.
You remember chickens. You remember planes.
I add logs to the pile, turn up the news.
You shuffle in your slippers, leg dragging.
I say: what’s left? after the smog and smoke, what
will we leave our children?
You say: it’s true. things have always been burning.
but what else
can we do?
Stock the bird feeder. Plant lupines. Read books.
There will always be gifts here.
There will always be something worth growing.
Anna Scott is a poet from the Midwest. A recent Johns Hopkins graduate, her work has appeared in TIMBER, October Hill, Wilder Things, and elsewhere. She is the 2023 recipient of the American Academy of Poets Laureen Rita Schipsi prize and the Johns Hopkins Danielle Alyse Basford Writing Prize. When not writing, you can find Anna running long distances, loping about in the woods, or trimming her bangs. You can also find her on Instagram @scottanna24.
Scott Tierney’s writings include the ongoing Neobook series The Adventures of Crumpet-Hands Man, the novella Kin, the comic book series Pointless Conversations, and his short-stories have been published on Liar’s League, Bristol Noir, HumourMe, and After Dinner Conversations. His Instagram page is instagram.com/scotttierneycreative and example of his writings and graphic design work can be found at scotttierneycreative.com