They flee, half-obliterated faces frozen flat to paper. Behind them, a river careens. Mountains slice sky lit by a siege of flailing stars, scissored strips of cloud, no cover. They might be anyone, these haggard travelers, a people marked, caught, carved by a master, his plywood blocks, inked, pressed, reproducible, expulsion destined to occur over and over though never the same way twice—undulant wood grain, colors, frenzy of dash, strength, and the eyes, the myriad eyes staring straight at you from the depths of the dead page, waiting, waiting for you to tire, to turn away.
Mary Beth Hines lives and writes from her home in Massachusetts. Her work appears in Cider Press Review, SWWIM Every Day, Tar River Poetry, Valparaiso Poetry Review, and elsewhere. Kelsay Books published her debut collection, Winter at a Summer House, in 2021. See marybethhines.com.
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12/19 / Meet the Artist with visiting poet-in-residence Kristen Renee Miller / The Library at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 6:00 pm EST / Free
12/19 / Poetry Reading with visiting poet-in-residence Kristen Renee Miller + Arsimmer McCoy / The Library at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 7:30 pm EST / Free
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